On Monday evening, President Bush delivered his last State of the Union address.  The speech offered a preview of his legislative agenda for his final year in office and provided an occasion for all Americans to reflect on the challenges we face this year and beyond, both domestically and abroad.

These past months have been marked by economic uncertainty for working families, and I hear on a daily basis from constituents who are struggling to cope with rising home heating and health insurance costs, and the threat of home foreclosures.  While many of these problems arose under the President's watch, there is no doubt that they will now have to be solved with bipartisan solutions. 

I was pleased that the President used the State of the Union to signal his willingness to work cooperatively with Congress in order to deliver a timely, targeted, and temporary economic stimulus package to help the middle class working families who have been hurt most by the struggling economy.  The stimulus package is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when the White House and Congress work cooperatively, and I strongly supported its passage in the House on Tuesday.

This stimulus provides tax rebates to 117 million families, including 35 million families who work but make too little to pay income taxes and 13 million senior citizens.  In Massachusetts 2.6 million households will receive on average $885 in rebates.  It is imperative that the Senate act quickly to deliver these benefits to American families who are counting on these rebates to use in a fashion that is best suited to their individual needs. 

The stimulus bill also takes important steps to help families avoid foreclosure through expanding loan opportunities.  The package will allow the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to once again be a partner with Massachusetts families, who have been unable to fully utilize the program's assistance because of the high cost of housing in the Commonwealth.  The higher loan limit will allow families who are worried about defaulting on their mortgage to refinance through FHA and stay in their homes.

Although this economic stimulus package is a good starting point, considerable work remains to be done to ensure that the underpinnings of our economy are strong and that all Americans have access to good jobs.  In a Budget Committee hearing that I attended with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, he repeatedly stated that effective stimulus needs to get the most near-term benefit per dollar, and that increasing funding for programs like food stamps or heating assistance would fit such a description.  I share this assessment by Chairman Bernanke, and believe that the President will need to work with Congress to deliver additional aid for low-income families.

While the President used the State of the Union to identify potential remedies for the country's economic woes, he declined to use the address to discuss any real or meaningful changes with regard to our policy in Iraq. 

During my recent visit to Iraq, I saw first hand that despite the incredible array of military might we have brought to bear in Iraq, the political reconciliation process that will ultimately bring lasting stability to the country remains stagnant.  The President stubbornly refuses to acknowledge that there is no military solution to the challenges we face in Iraq, and gave no indication during his speech that he will put increased pressure on the Iraqi government to act.

Now more than ever, I believe the best and most responsible way to bring about the necessary changes in Iraq is to set a timetable that requires the Iraqi government to step up to the plate and fully engages, with our concerted effort, the international community to bring about a political solution.  I will soon be introducing legislation which sets a timetable for a safe withdrawal of U.S. Forces from Iraq.

Inaction on the part of the Iraqi government cannot be used as an excuse to maintain our U.S. troop presence indefinitely, as the President seems content to do.  Rather we must send a clear message that however difficult it may be, the Iraqis have to find a way to move forward.

To that end, the President must not ignore the sound advice that Congress has given him on this subject.  It is reflective of the calls for a change in course in Iraq that the American people have delivered.

It is my hope that the President will be a partner in these efforts as Congress works in a bipartisan fashion to deliver the changes needed to re-invigorate our economy, create outstanding new jobs, end the Iraq war, and invest in our future.  For the good of our working families, our soldiers overseas, and our nation as a whole, this cooperation and partnership is desperately needed.