Obama Response to the President's State of the Union Address
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Printable FormatContact: Tommy Vietor or Robert Gibbs, 202-228-5511
Date: January 23, 2007
Obama Response to the President's State of the Union Address
"The President offered some serious proposals tonight on two issues - energy and health care - that we all agree must be addressed. I'm glad he did and I think it's important to respond in a constructive way. But the last election proved that politics-by-slogan and poll-tested sound bites aren't going to cut it with the American people anymore, and that's why the real test of leadership is not what the President said to Congress tonight, but how he works with Congress to find real solutions to the problems we face.
"The good news is that in the halls of Congress and across the nation, there is widespread support from both Democrats and Republicans on how to meet the major challenges facing America.
"Most Americans believe that escalation will not bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end, and that's why I've proposed not just a troop cap, but a phased redeployment that will start bringing our troops home. Most Americans believe that energy independence will come from using more biofuels like ethanol and making cars that actually use less oil, which is why I proposed a bipartisan plan that would raise fuel economy standards for the first time in decades. Most Americans believe that the biggest domestic challenge facing the country is the high cost of health care, and that's why incremental plans that do nothing to bring down costs or guarantee coverage are simply no longer sufficient.
"The American people have been waiting for leadership commensurate to the challenges we face, and they'll be watching to see if bold rhetoric is followed by bold action in the months to come."