Rep. Boozman Remarks on State of the Union

U.S. Rep. John Boozman (R-AR) today issued the following statement on the President’s State of the Union Address:

• On the State of the Union: I agree with the President that the Union is strong, but acknowledge that there is significant work we need to do to keep us so. The onus is now upon us to come together in an election year to put the needs of the American people ahead the needs of our respective parties.
• On the Economy: Fundamentally, the economy is strong. However, we must take steps to bolster it. The economic stimulus package we are voting on Tuesday is an important bipartisan step to help working families and small business owners – who are the backbone of our economy. We should not delay, nor derail our bipartisan effort. I hope to work together with the Senate to see it passed.
• On Fiscal Responsibility: We have made progress on curtailing wasteful earmarks, but we must do even more – especially when the American people are looking to us to be good stewards of their money. The earmark system is the most obvious symbol of a broken Washington, and why the American people hold us in such low regard. I applaud the President’s call to slash earmarks, but believe we can do even more to show that we are committed to fixing the problem instead of just talking about it. We should enact a moratorium on earmarks so that we can establish a system where we can put a stop to the bridges to nowhere and statues to ourselves, and guarantee a totally transparent process. It’s my sincere hope that Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Majority will choose to join with Republicans by the end of this week in agreeing to our proposal so Congress can begin restoring trust between the American people and their elected leaders.
• On Keeping our Nation Safe from Terrorism: For nearly six months, the Congress has done nothing ensure that we are able to gather intelligence on those who wish harm on America. On Friday, legislation which ensures that we can track terrorists will expire – weakening our nation’s security and putting our citizen’s in greater danger. We need to know what terrorists are saying, who they are saying it to, and when their plans are ready to go. The American people demand we keep them safe, and we should not shirk that responsibility.
• On Caring for Veterans and Military Families: I applaud the President’s call to expand support for military families and take care of our veterans. As you know, this is an issue very personal to me as a member of the Veterans committee. Expanding benefits to include child care and hiring preferences for spouses are much needed steps to do our best by the men and women who give of themselves, and their families, for our nation. Veterans issues are not Republican issues, nor are they Democratic issues. They are American issues which must be addressed. The best way to do this is the full implementation of the Wounded Warriors plan put forth by the Dole-Shalala Commission, and the quick – bipartisan – passage of the President’s recommendations for veterans and military families.
• On Bipartisanship During an Election Year: I appreciate the tone of the President’s remarks tonight: reaching out to Democrats and Republicans in order to get the people’s work done. We can work together here in Washington. It will take presidential leadership, as well as congressional leadership, to get it done. We must act for the American people this year, and not act in the interests of those who will become our parties’ nominees for the Presidency. The bipartisan manner we are taking to stimulate the economy is a good template for how we can proceed on protecting America from terrorism, improving our schools and providing tax relief.
• On No Child Left Behind: It is important that we be able to continue the strides we have made in improving our schools in Arkansas, and around the country, by fixing No Child Left Behind. I offered two such fixes in July because our educators have shown us one-size-does-not-fit-all. We need greater flexibility for schools and states. We must allow teachers to respond to real-world situations so our testing is valid and beneficial to children, schools and parents. This can be accomplished by coming together and fixing what we know is wrong.

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