Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

"President Bush reminded us tonight of our duty to protect the American people and the importance of efforts to boost our national security. The defense of our country is our greatest responsibility, and I commend his efforts in the war against terror.

"But there are other great responsibilities that have not been given adequate attention. The fact remains that job uncertainty undermines many Americans’ financial security. The lack of access to affordable and reliable health care jeopardizes personal security. Our growing national debt threatens the future security of our children and grandchildren. We must get our fiscal house in order and do better in all of these areas to make our nation truly secure. I look forward to working with the President on a bipartisan basis."

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Cardoza was joined at the State of the Union address tonight by Marit Medefind, an 8^th grader from Cruikshank Middle School in Merced. Medefind won an essay contest sponsored by the Merced Sun-Star that called upon students to discuss a previous State of the Union and its historical importance. The prize for the contest was Cardoza’s only gallery ticket for the speech.