Kathleen Sebelius in the Democratic response has called for a new course to be taken. She had said that Americans no longer have patience with divisive politics. She would urge President Bush to join the majority of Americans to make the needed change. Sebelius was speaking from Topeka, Kansas.
She had said that Bush’s Union address was a call to action nationwide on behalf of the struggling families in the heart land. In addition, Sebelius also said it was a wake-up call that Washington needs on behalf of a new American majority. Sebelius said that time was running out on opportunities to meet challenges and solving problems.
In the response, she said that the American people as a whole are not as divided as the rancorous politics may suggest.
“The new Democratic majority of Congress and the vast majority of Americans are ready – ready to chart a new course,” Sebelius had said. In addition, she said that restoring America’s status in the world and improving the fight against terrorism will not have to wait for a new president if there are more Republicans to stand with the Democrats this year.
Currently, Sebelius is on her second term as governor. She called on Bush to use the final days of his term to give the people of American renewed optimism.
“Working together, working hard, committing to results, we can get the job done,” the governor said.
She added: “In fact, over the last year, the Democratic majority in Congress has begun to move us in the right direction, with bipartisan action on significant initiatives to bolster our national security, raise the minimum wage, and reduce the costs of college loans.
“There are encouraging first steps. But there is still more to be done.”
She also called upon the president to sign the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The bill was passed in Congress twice only to be vetoed by President Bush.
On the current foreign policy, Sebelius said that the five years in Iraq have cost a lot of lives. She would explain how the lives of wounded soldiers would have futures that may never be the same.
In finishing the response, Sebelius said: “We’re Americans sharing a belief in something greater than ourselves, a nation coming together to meet challenges and find solutions; to share sacrifices and share prosperity; and focus, once again, not only on the individual good but on the common good.
“On behalf of the new American majority – the majority of elected officials at the national, state and local level, and the majority of Americans, we ask you, Mr. President, to join us. We’re ready to work together, to be the America we have been – and can be once again.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said that in regards to Iraq, Bush has given no hope for an end to that war. In regards to the economy, Pelosi said: “We will work with the president – where possible – to bolster the housing market … restore confidence in consumer goods … and to give our workers and employers more tools to compete in a global economy.”
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