 PresidentGeorge W. Bush during the speech, with Vice PresidentDick Cheney and House SpeakerNancy Pelosi behind him | |
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| Date | January 23, 2007 (2007-01-23) |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 p.m.EST |
| Duration | 49 minutes |
| Venue | House Chamber,United States Capitol |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′19.8″N77°00′32.8″W / 38.888833°N 77.009111°W /38.888833; -77.009111 |
| Type | State of the Union Address |
| Participants | |
| Previous | 2006 State of the Union Address |
| Next | 2008 State of the Union Address |
The2007 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rdpresident of the United States,George W. Bush, on January 23, 2007, at 9:00 p.m.EST, in the chamber of theUnited States House of Representatives to the110th United States Congress. It was Bush's sixthState of the Union Address and hisseventh speech to ajoint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was theHouse speaker,Nancy Pelosi, accompanied byDick Cheney, thevice president, in his capacity as thepresident of the Senate.
It was the first address to aDemocratic-controlled Congress since 1994. Furthermore, the speech marked the second time that a Democrat sat behind President Bush during a joint session of Congress and the first time at a State of the Union address. Traditionally, the Speaker of the House and the Vice President (the President of the Senate) are the only individuals on therostrum with the President. However, ina joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, following theSeptember 11 attacks nine days earlier,president pro temporeRobert Byrd, a Democrat, took the place of Vice President Cheney, who was at an undisclosed location.[1] As the first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is also the first woman in American history to stand on the podium during a State of the Union address.
President Bush began his address by recognizing the new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi:
And tonight I have the high privilege and distinct honor of my own as the first president to begin the State of the Union message with these words: Madam Speaker.[2]
Attorney GeneralAlberto Gonzales was not present because traditionally a member of the President's cabinet, adesignated survivor, does not attend in order to ensure presidential succession in the event of an emergency. Only fourSupreme Court Justices attended the speech:Chief JusticeJohn Roberts andAssociate JusticesStephen Breyer,Samuel Alito, andAnthony Kennedy.SenatorTim Johnson andCongressmanCharlie Norwood were not present because of serious health problems, but were acknowledged with applause. Johnson recovered and returned to work by September, while Norwood died on February 13, 2007.
The President's speech focused equally on domestic policy andforeign policy.
Bush placed emphasis on balancing thefederal budget, eliminating excessiveearmarks, changing thetax code to replace the existing businesstax exemption to workershealth insurance premiums with a new personal health insurance deduction, providinghealth care for needy individuals, and expandinghealth savings accounts. Bush supported "laws that are fair and borders that are secure" in regards toimmigration, suggesting atemporary worker program, stating that, "[a]s a result, they won't have to try to sneak in".[2] He suggested resolving the status of current illegal residents "without animosity and without amnesty".
Bush said theUnited States has been dependent onforeign oil for too long, and that this chances placing it in hostile situations. Bush asked Congress to work to reducegasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent over the next ten years, and recommended research intoalternative fuels. He asked Congress to "double the current capacity" of theStrategic Petroleum Reserve. In what appears to be a change of stance, Bush made a connection betweenenergy policy andclimate change: "America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. And these technologies will help us be better stewards of the environment, and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change." Bush specifically namedplug-in hybrid vehicles as part of his "advanced energy initiative" to help end the United States "addiction to oil."
Bush asked Congress to give futurefederal court nominees a "fair hearing", and a "promptup-or-down vote on the Senate floor."
In the realm ofeducation, he asked Congress to renew theNo Child Left Behind Act and considerschool vouchers, although he never mentioned vouchers by name.
A large part of Bush's speech centered on theIraqWar. Bush emphasized that he still stood behind it, stating that, "to win theWar on Terror, we must take the fight to the enemy."[2] He stated that the dangers ofterrorism have not ended, and that it is thegovernment's duty to locate terrorists and protect the American people. He stated that it was not responsible to leave Iraq yet, as it would put "ourselves in danger and our friends at risk." He emphasized that stability in Iraq is essential, and that chaos is the enemy's greatest ally. Bush asked Americans to give the Iraq War a chance, and support the troops on the field and "those on their way," a reference to the"surge" strategy involving 20,000soldiers andMarines sent toBaghdad andal-Anbar, most of which would go to Baghdad.
Bush advocated adding to the ranks of the military. He asked Congress to authorize an increase in the Army and Marine active duty forces by 92,000 in the next five years. He spoke of developing a volunteerCivilian Reserve Corps which could help ease the burden on military personnel: "It would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time."[2] The phraseterror (whether as terror, terrorism, or terrorist) appeared 22 times in his speech, highlighting its continuing significance in his administration's foreign policy and political position.[2]
Bush advocated saving the people affected by theconflict inDarfur,Sudan. He advocated continuing to fightHIV/AIDS, especially inAfrica. Bush asked for $1.2 billion over the next five years to combatmalaria in 15 African countries.
Toward the end of his speech, President Bush recognized four distinguished Americans. First, he pointed outDikembe Mutombo, a player in theNational Basketball Association. He is native to theDemocratic Republic of the Congo and recently built a new hospital inKinshasa, his hometown. Next, he introduced business and social entrepreneurJulie Aigner-Clark, who foundedThe Baby Einstein Company. Then, he introducedWesley Autrey who, three weeks prior, saved a man withepilepsy from being run down by aNew York City Subway train. Finally, he introducedSergeant Tommy Rieman, an American soldier who continued to fight even though he was critically injured in Iraq.[3]
Jim Webb, aVietnamWarveteran andSenator fromVirginia whose son was serving inIraq, delivered the Democratic response fromCapitol Hill, the second year in a row for a Virginia politician.Virginia GovernorTim Kaine delivered the Democratic response in 2006. It lasted less than nine minutes, as expected, ending at 10:24 EST.
Webb said he hoped theBush administration is serious about health care, education, and revitalizing the imperiled nation, as represented byNew Orleans,Louisiana, followingHurricane Katrina (President Bush did not mention Katrina or New Orleans in his Address). He emphasized that corporate profits are not being fairly shared, stating thatchief executive officersmake over 400 times that of workers, on average. Therefore, it takes an average worker over one year to make as much money as his boss makes in one day. He advocated a policy that would begin to remove United States troops from Iraq, pointing out that polls show the majority of the American people do not support the direction of the Iraq War or the president's strategy.[4]
Steve Kubby, aCalifornia politician and declared candidate for the2008 presidential election, delivered an unofficial response to the address for theLibertarian Party. Kubby criticized the president's policies on the economy, education, and foreign policy, which he referred to as "foreign military adventurism."[5]
The Wall Street Journal reported in an article the following Thursday thatconservatives were upset and felt abandoned by Bush's shifts on immigration and health care, and quoted a high-ranking official with theAmerican Conservative Union saying that "the president left a lot of conservatives shaking their heads".
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