(The following statement by AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney was issued on January 29.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In addition to making the case for war against Iraq, President George W. Bush used his State of the Union address last night to justify sticking with a domestic agenda that turned a $5.6 trillion surplus into steep deficits, fails to create new jobs, re-balances the tax code to favor upper income earners and creates new hurdles in delivering a promised prescription drug benefit to seniors.
Much like his latest tax cut “stimulus” plan, the President’s State of the Union address was long on broad promises (“high quality, affordable health care for all Americans”) and short on real proposals to help working families.
America is rightfully worried about a possible war in Iraq and the ongoing war on terrorism – – and the President is right to give significant time to his international agenda in the State of the Union address. But working families are also worried that the 40 states facing deficits will have to go further than canceling one day of school per week, cutting public health and slowing new spending on homeland security to balance budgets. Working families and retirees are concerned, not comforted, by the President’s new plan asking seniors to give up their personal doctors and join an HMO to get a prescription drug benefit. Working families are worried about their job security, about their retirement security and about long-term growth returning to the American economy.
President Bush’s domestic agenda from the last two years, which he endorsed again last night, has yielded a disappointing scorecard with losses on every important economic marker for working families. President Bush needs to take the time now to convince America that he has new solutions that will set our economy forward toward long-term, balanced growth.