U.S. Representative Tim Johnson's Statement to President Bush's State of the Union address
January 29, 2008
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Timothy V. Johnson issued the following statement today in response to President Bush's State of the Union speech.
"I appreciate the forward-looking tone of the President's speech tonight. As he indicated, it is indeed up to Congress to move our nation forward and take the initiative with so much unfinished business, from a sensible immigration policy to restructuring entitlement programs."
"Foremost on the minds of many people is the recent slowdown in the economy. The President urged Congress to pass an economic stimulus package to arrest this slowdown. I am not convinced that is the most prudent action, at least with the form of stimulus thus far outlined."
"I am convinced that no true and long-lasting solutions to our economic problems will occur without making sure the President's tax cuts are made permanent. Those cuts are set to expire in less than three years. When that happens, according to the Congressional Budget Office, 116 million taxpayers will see their tax jump an average of $1,800. That includes single women, the elderly, small businesses – often the most vulnerable among us. Whatever downturn we are in now will seem passive compared with letting those tax cuts expire."
"Our nation's economy, and our personal economies, are inextricably tied to our energy needs, so it was at least encouraging to me that the President appeared to place a high priority on our energy independence. He listed among his priorities the need to fund new technologies that can produce power from coal with significantly lower carbon emissions. It is my hope that he follows through with his promise by supporting the FutureGen project, the clean-coal demonstration project designated for Mattoon, with the enthusiasm and sense of urgency that he demonstrated in his speech."
