Floor Statements
January 28, 2008
Media Contact: Ray Yonkura
(202) 225-2676
Jordan Statement On State of the Union Address
Washington, DC -- Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) issued the following statement in response to President Bush’s State of the Union address:
I liked a lot of what President Bush said tonight--especially his call for full funding and support of our troops in battle. They have achieved great results on our behalf and deserve everything they need to get the job done.
I agree that Congress needs to move forward with the proposed bipartisan economic stimulus package without loading it up with extra spending. I also agree with the President’s call to make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent to ensure long-term growth and a healthy economy.
In fact, I favor taking this opportunity to cut wasteful spending in other areas of the budget to guarantee we are doing this in a fiscally responsible way. I support any and all efforts to reform the earmark process in a meaningful way that requires full disclosure and full transparency.
The President rightly acknowledged that free and fair trade expands opportunities for our farmers and businesses of all sizes--especially in Ohio, which is the only state to have seen an expansion in exports in each of the last eight years. I encourage congressional Democrats to take up and pass pending agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, all of which will help level the playing field for Ohio’s exporters.
The President also noted that existing terrorist surveillance legislation expires on Friday. I would again encourage congressional leaders to enact a permanent fix to ensure that our intelligence-gathering abilities are not weakened. The terrorist threat does not end this week, and neither should our ability to monitor terrorist communications.
