N.M. leaders urge action following Bush speech

New Mexico’s members of Congress had mixed reactions to President Bush’s last State of the Union address on Monday, but all urged action and expressed hope that important issues can be addressed during the coming year.

Bush focused much of his time on the war, economy and taxes, and again called for immigration reform and an end to congressional earmarks. You can read the full text of his speech here.

U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici, in a news release, said Bush outlined good policy initiatives and urged Congress to act.

“President Bush sent a very clear message that he intends to work up to the very end of his term pushing what he believes will make us a stronger nation,” Domenici said. “Despite this being his last year in office, the president is right to challenge Congress and the American people to work together to improve our economy, to protect the nation and tackle hard issues like the solvency of programs such as Social Security and Medicare.”

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman said he was glad to hear some talk of bipartisanship from the president, and said he believes bipartisan work will lead to an economic stimulus package in the coming weeks.

“I hope we can also pass legislation to make improvements to the No Child Left Behind Act, find a way to continue dealing with our energy challenges and make adequate investments in the scientific research that will keep us competitive in the global marketplace,” Bingaman said. “Unfortunately, it is clear that this White House will not bring about a resolution to two other key issues facing our country: getting us out of Iraq and health-care reform. Those are two areas that regrettably will be left to the next president to address.”

Domenici welcomed Bush’s calls to increase funding for veterans’ care, science education programs and energy policy initiatives.

“I’m pleased that the president has continued his commitment to expanding clean energy,” Domenici said. “I’m particularly thankful for the administration’s strong support for nuclear power, which I believe will be an important part of the president’s legacy.”

U.S. House members react

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall said he was also hopeful that bipartisanship would lead to solutions for many of the nation’s pressing challenges. But he called much of Bush’s speech “reminiscent of misdirected solutions offered by the president in the past,” including the same energy proposal Domenici lauded.

“If we are truly serious about strengthening our energy security, and in turn our national security, now is the time to act boldly,” Udall said. “In addition to our energy security, the president and the Congress must move immediately and collectively to address the looming economic recession to provide real relief to America’s working families. We also must increase access to health care, improve education and bring to a close our nation’s long and tragic war in Iraq.”

“I urge the president to work with the Congress to address these and other problems in the year ahead,” Udall said. “Together we can find common ground to make meaningful progress for the American people.”

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson said the president addressed two important points in his speech.

“One was the need to pass an economic stimulus bill through the House and the Senate very quickly and get it to the president,” Wilson said. “I want it to be really focused on small business and encouraging economic growth for the long-term.”

She also noted the president’s words about the nation’s intelligence laws.

“We passed the Protect America Act in August, which really allowed us to listen to foreigners in foreign countries while protecting Americans’ civil liberties,” Wilson said. “But there’s a sunset in that bill and it expires on Feb. 1. Unless Congress acts, we will lose our access to important intelligence that’s preventing another terrorist act. I think it’s absolutely vital that we get that fixed.”

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce did not release a statement following the president’s speech.

Wiviott criticizes president

Other than Udall and Wilson, who are running for Domenici’s seat, the only candidate for federal office to release a statement following Bush’s speech was Don Wiviott, one of several Democrats seeking to replace Udall in the House.

“President Bush’s final State of the Union address was a sad reminder of how little progress Washington has made since 2001,” Wiviott said. “We have heard the same litany of promises for seven years in a row, but the challenges we face have only grown worse.”

“It’s time to turn the page on empty promises and partisan gridlock. We need leaders who will work together to deliver results,” Wiviott said.

Update, 2:15 p.m.

In a news release, Pearce said several of Bush’s proposals “should be agreeable and achievable for Congress this year,” including an economic stimulus package.

“Like the president, I support a combination of rebates for families and tax relief for small business. We need to get money into the hands of those who need it most and will spur our economy,” Pearce said. “Further, I strongly oppose any tax increases to pay for government programs that have little chance of stimulating the economy and no hope of helping middle-class families immediately.”

Pearce, while saying he doesn’t believe “all earmarks are wrong,” said he supports “an open, honest and transparent system that identifies who requested the funding and ensures each earmark gets a vote.”

“At the start of this session, there are indications that Congress is willing to act in a bipartisan way to make sure our economy does not suffer,” Pearce said. “If we continue to work together, I believe we have an unprecedented opportunity this year to make progress on a number of issues including education, health care and border security.”