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Re: President's State of the Union

Tonight, President Bush will offer his final State of the Union address to Congress.  In past speeches, he has touched on the need for reform in many areas of public concern,  but has failed to adequately lay out a public interest agenda that meets the needs for the American people.

A real response to the issues facing America's families and communities would address the following issue areas:

• The Economy
• Healthcare Security
• Transportatin for A 21st Century
• Public Health and Safety
• Accountable Government

The Economy
For More Information, contact John Krieger, 202-546-9707 x. 333 or jkrieger@pirg.org

In the next few weeks, the President will likely sign an economic stimulus measure to provide rebates for American taxpayers and tax breaks for businesses.  CoPIRG applauds the President and Congressional leaders for responding in a bipartisan way to the economic downturn, but a number of worthy proposals were left on the cutting room floor during negotiation including a much-needed plan to increase jobs and raw materials production to improve our and repair our nation's transit, rail, bridge, and highway systems.  

The President should recognize the vast funding gaps in the U.S. transportation sector and call on Congress to stimulate the economy by investing in transportation alternatives such as mass transit and rail, and "fix-it-first" projects for substandard bridges, overpasses, and rail lines.  This targeted funding produces jobs, offers a jumpstart to the economy, and gives more Americans an alternative to the ever-increasing cost of gas.

To address an overstretched budget, the President should extend the same bipartisan zeal that was exhibited in stimulus package negotiations toward ensuring a fairer tax code that is not so easily exploited by gimmicks, tricks, and political influence.

Healthcare Security
For more information, contact Steve Blackledge, 916-208-5264 or sblackledge@pirg.org

President Bush has repeatedly vetoed legislation to expand health insurance for children (SCHIP - the State Children's Health Insurance Program).  In doing so, he has prevented states from taking more aggressive action to address the swelling ranks of the uninsured.  Further, he has sided with big tobacco, the cause of many health woes, which opposed SCHIP expansion because it was funded by a tobacco tax.

Given his opposition to the bipartisan SCHIP expansion, the President should announce how his administration intends to tackle the problem of uninsured children, and what steps or legislation he will support to rein in soaring health care costs, which lead to the ever-growing number of uninsured Americans.

Transportation for A 21st Century
For more information, contact Phineas Baxendall, 617-747-4351 or phineas@pirg.org

Beyond the stimulus package, the President should address the historic juncture the U.S. faces on transportation policy.  This month, a bipartisan Blue Ribbon commission released its dire findings, finding that, much like budget deficits, our tranportation systems are becoming insolvent.  To date the administration seems to have taken a pass.

America must move toward a new transportation future for the 21st century that enhances our economy, national security, public health, environment, and quality of life.

Public Health and Safety
For more information, contact Ed Mierzwinski, 202-546-9707 x. 314 or edm@pirg.org

The President should own up to the serious problems faced by consumers in the marketplace that endanger our children and families and the inability of agencies to provide necessary oversight.  Particularly troubling are statements by the acting chair of the Consumer Product Safety Commission critical of a Senate proposal to strengthen her agency and provide more authority and the resources to use that authority.

True reform must impose the meaningful civil penalties on wrongdoers, increase transparency of information about safety hazards and subject all toy hazards to third-party testing.  The Senate proposal, S. 2045, provides for these much needed changes.

Accountable Government 
For more information, contact Gary Kalman, 202-546-9707 x. 311

The President will likely address fiscal responsibility and criticize the misuse of certain earmarks in federal spending bills.  While it is laudable to rein in earmarks, additional and more fundamental steps are needed to ensure that officials across the federal government are acting in the public interest.

It is not too late for the President to make changes necessary to rein in lax practices that corrupt the governing process and rob the American people of necessary services.  The President can begin by establishing new rules under which funds are awarded to federal contractors.  More than $400 billion is handed out to companies with ineffective oversight every year.  The waste, fraud and abuse has been documented in a recent CoPIRG report and examined in numerous Congressional hearings.

While Congress should be applauded for passing strong new ethics rules, the President should call on members to ensure that the new rules he signed into law are properly enforced by the establishment of an indepedent Office of Congressional ethics.

CoPIRG is the Colorado Public Interest Research Group.  CoPIRG is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organization.  CoPIRG's mission is to deliver persistent, result-oriented public interest activism that protects consumers, encourages a fair, sustainable economy, and fosters responsive, democratic government.