Washington, D.C. -- Tonight, U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) issued the following statement regarding the State of Union Address by President George W. Bush.
"This evening, I listened carefully as the President spoke on the issues and challenges faced by our country, especially as many of our men and women continue to fight the war in Iraq. I do not disagree that it is important for the United States to complete its mission in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, he failed to inform us when and how we will be able to accomplish our missions so that we may bring our troops home.
"The President has many times thanked America's servicemembers for their selfless service. But as the Ranking Member on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I urge the President to remember those remarks and truly honor veterans by requesting a budget that fully funds the Department of Veterans Affairs. Not once did the President address the concern for our veterans who are confronted with a host of health care problems. The Administation needs to ensure our young heroes are able to continue to lead productive lives after their military service is over. We must remember that some wounds are invisible and that these wounds need care. I have yet to learn about how VA will deal with long-term care. Unfortunately, I am left to wonder if the Administration will address any of our many veterans concerns.
"I welcome the President's Advanced Energy Initiative and hope that his Administration will fully recognize the value of hydrogen research and development programs by fully funding those initiatives. I also urge the President to fully fund the cellulosic ethanol and alternative feedstocks programs, such as sugar, to ensure that they can be produced locally - programs aimed to finally bring our gasoline prices down.
"As a former teacher, I fully agree that more math and science initiatives are needed in our education system to encourage students to pursue careers in these fields. But tonight the President failed to mention that also critical for success in today's world is proficiency in foreign languages. For years, I have actively promoted legislation to strengthen science, math and foreign language education programs. I have yet to see the Administration provide a real funding commitment in this area, but I am encouraged by the proposals the President spoke of tonight.
"Let us not forget that the President also has yet to fully fund the basic law underpinning all of K-12 education - the No Child Left Behind Act. Next week I will be taking a closer look at his budget in hopes that it will provide the necessary funding that our schools need, rather than leaving the NCLB as a severely unfunded mandate.
"And let us never forget our duty to our own countrymen. We saw in the federal response to Hurricane Katrina that many of the lessons of September 11th have yet to be learned. State and local responders are our first line of defense, yet the Administration fails to give them the tools they need to do their jobs.
"In listening to the President speak of a defining history, I am hopeful that this Administration will recognize the mistakes made so that history does not repeat itself.
