 PresidentGeorge W. Bush during the speech, with Vice PresidentDick Cheney and House SpeakerNancy Pelosi behind him | |
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| Date | January 28, 2008 (2008-01-28) |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 p.m.EST |
| Duration | 52 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 | 2007 State of the Union Address |
| Next | 2009 Joint session speech |
The2008 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rdpresident of the United States,George W. Bush, on January 28, 2008, at 9:00 p.m.EST, in the chamber of theUnited States House of Representatives to the110th United States Congress. It was Bush's seventh and finalState of the Union Address and hiseighth and final 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.
TheWhite House indicated beforehand that President Bush's speech would mention the following policies:[1]
- Economy: Keeping the economy healthy
- Budget: Staying on track to a balanced budget by 2012
- Housing: Modernize theFederal Housing Administration to avoidforeclosures
- National Security: Giving our national security professionals tools they need to protect America
- Iraq War: Continued progress inIraq allows "Return on Success"
- Global War on Terror: Keeping America safe by fostering the freedom agenda
- Veterans: Supporting the nation's troops and their families
- No Child Left Behind: Plan to undergo a $300 million expansion opportunity
- Education: Empowering parents with more choices for their children's education
- Free Trade: Opening newmarkets and expanding opportunities through free trade
- Energy: Increasing theenergy security and confrontingclimate change
- Healthcare: Empowering Americans with affordable options for health care
- Stem cell research: Increasing federal support forethical stem cell research
- Faith-based initiatives: Helping those inneed through the faith-based and community initiatives
- Immigration: Improvingborder security and immigration
- Compassion: Advancing an agenda of compassion worldwide
- Disease: Protecting others fromdiseases such asAIDS
- Science: Requesting thatCongress double federal spending onbasic physical research
— White House Office of Communications, January 2008
In keeping with tradition of Democrats fromred states giving the response,Governor of KansasKathleen Sebelius delivered the Democratic response from the Governor's Mansion in Topeka.[2] It has been noted that she focused not on the usual Democratic rebuttal, but more so on the need to get past partisan politics to get the important legislation passed in a timely manner. She was picked by Democratic congressional leaders to make the response because of her ability to reach across partisan lines.[3]
Texas state SenatorLeticia Van de Putte gave the Democratic response in Spanish.[4]
Libertarian Party Chair William Redpath issued a written response to the State of the Union on behalf of the national Libertarian Party.[5]
Steve Kubby, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nomination, delivered his own "State of the Union address" via Internet video on January 25, 2008, three days before President Bush's speech. Framed as a preemption rather than merely a response,[6] Kubby's speech attempted to predict the themes President Bush would strike and offered Kubby's own proposals in their stead.
She will deliver the Spanish Democratic response to the president's State of the Union speech tonight; Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will give the English one. Ms. Van de Putte was selected for the role by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
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