{"id":1147,"date":"2007-01-24T08:58:00","date_gmt":"2007-01-24T14:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/01\/most-n-m-leaders-are-skeptical-of-bush-proposals\/"},"modified":"2007-01-24T08:58:00","modified_gmt":"2007-01-24T14:58:00","slug":"most-n-m-leaders-are-skeptical-of-bush-proposals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2007\/01\/most-n-m-leaders-are-skeptical-of-bush-proposals\/","title":{"rendered":"Most N.M. leaders are skeptical of Bush proposals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Most of New Mexico<\/st1:state>\u2019s leaders in Washington<\/st1:place><\/st1:state> were critical of at least some of the proposals President Bush made Tuesday in his State of the Union address. <\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

You can read about Bush\u2019s speech by clicking here<\/a>, and read a transcript of the speech here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

On energy independence and climate change, Bush called for reducing the nation\u2019s gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years by increasing the use of alternative energy \u2013 in particular ethanol \u2013 and pushing tougher fuel efficiency standards. He acknowledged for the first time the need to confront \u201cthe serious challenge of global climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. and chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he was encouraged that the president has set a goal of reducing the nation\u2019s gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThat is an initiative all Americans can get behind,\u201d Bingaman said. \u201cBut I am very disappointed that the president did not say much about addressing global warming in a comprehensive way. There is a great desire across the country \u2013 including from leading American companies \u2013 for presidential leadership on this important issue. By essentially ducking the issue of taking a mandatory, economy-wide approach to the problem, the president has missed a real opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Sen. Pete Domenici, the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said he agreed with the president\u2019s plan to expand the ethanol standard included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, saying that \u201craised the bar on our commitment to renewable fuels.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

But he said he was disappointed that Bush \u201cdidn\u2019t give greater attention to the tremendous promise nuclear power holds for us. Nuclear power is a carbon-free energy source, and expanding its use is the single most significant thing we can do to confront climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said Bush has promised every year to lessen America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>\u2019s dependence of foreign oil. He said even this year, the president\u2019s proposals won\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cAmericans need more than lip service; we need a new direction in our approach to energy as we know it,\u201d Udall said. \u201c\u2026 While I commend the president for acknowledging the seriousness of global warming, I will continue to urge both he and my colleagues in Congress to acknowledge that this is one of the most pressing issues facing our nation, and it demands immediate action. We cannot wait.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Gov. Bill Richardson, a 2008 presidential contender, said Bush\u2019s proposal isn\u2019t comprehensive enough to have an effect.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cEthanol is a critical part of the solution, but not the only part. Our approach must be comprehensive, exploring all opportunities with renewables, including solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells, and distributive generation, to name a few,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 Ultimately, we need a man-on-the-moon effort focused on energy independence. Anything less will not create the change necessary to make a lasting difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Health care<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

To deal with a struggling health care system, Bush proposed turning health benefits into taxable income. Up to $15,000 in health-insurance premiums would be deductible, while premiums over that amount would be penalized. Critics say the plan penalizes those with good insurance, shifts burden from companies to working Americans, and does little or nothing for the poor who have no health insurance.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said Bush\u2019s plan doesn\u2019t go far enough because it doesn\u2019t help the uninsured.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThe burden of having so many patients unable to pay is crushing the health care system, and all of us are paying the price,\u201d Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Bingaman said he is \u201cconcerned that the president\u2019s proposal would make health care more expensive for millions of middle-class Americans, especially those with chronic diseases,\u201d and said the plan \u201cmay undermine incentives for employers to provide robust health insurance coverage for their employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we want to make health care more affordable, and extend coverage to the nearly 50 million people who are currently uninsured, the president\u2019s proposal is not the most effective and efficient way of doing so,\u201d Bingaman said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Overall assessment<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., praised the proposals made by Bush.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cI applaud the president for reaching out to the new Democratic majority in Congress,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cI fervently hope they will reach back, and I will do everything in my power to serve as a bridge to the promise that goal holds for America<\/st1:country-region><\/st1:place>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s clear that the president intends to forge forward with a bold agenda to win the war on terror and build upon our strong economy,\u201d Pearce said. \u201cI\u2019m particularly encouraged by his proposals to expand access to health care and attack wasteful spending.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Udall said Democrats have already reached out.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Congress already has taken several bipartisan steps to move America<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> in a new direction on the issues Americans care about most,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope the president will work with us to increase the minimum wage, to make our country safer from terrorism, and to make health care and education more affordable and accessible for more Americans. Only time will tell if the president will work with us in a bipartisan manner or stay the course.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Domenici acknowledged the difficulty Bush faced in addressing the Democratic majority in Congress because of his dismal approval ratings and the unpopular war in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cPresident Bush obviously had to deliver this speech under difficult circumstances,\u201d Domenici said. \u201cI want to learn more about some of the proposals he rolled out tonight, including his plans for the military and health care.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Richardson<\/st1:place><\/st1:city> had harsh words for Bush.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to the party, Mr. President. The rest of the country and the world have been talking and doing something about these issues for years,\u201d he said. \u201cIn addition to being years behind, what the president is proposing doesn\u2019t go far enough and isn\u2019t realistic.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., didn\u2019t release a statement about the speech, and told the Albuquerque Journal<\/a> only that she continues to remain a skeptic of Bush\u2019s plan in Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region>. Bush and New Mexico<\/st1:state>\u2019s leaders said nothing about Iraq<\/st1:place><\/st1:country-region> Tuesday that they haven\u2019t already said publicly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most of New Mexico\u2019s leaders in Washington were critical of at least some of the proposals President Bush made Tuesday in his State of the Union address. You can read about Bush\u2019s speech by clicking here, and read a transcript of the speech here. On energy independence and climate change, Bush called for reducing the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1147"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1147\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}