Tim Kaine in State of the Union address

On Budget & Economy: In 5 years, Bush took us from surplus to deficit

Tonight we heard the president again call to make his tax policies permanent, despite his administration’s failure to manage our staggering national debt. Over the past five years, we’ve gone from huge surpluses to massive deficits.

Now, no parent makes their child pay the mortgage bill. Why should we allow this administration to pass down the bill for its reckless spending to our children and grandchildren?

There’s a better way. Two years ago in Virginia, Democrats and Republicans worked together to reform our budget. By focusing on results, we were able to keep the budget balanced, preserve our strong credit rating and protect the essential services that families rely on: education, health care, law enforcement. States all across this country are doing this right now, as the federal government falls further and further into debt.

Source: Democratic Response to 2006 State of the Union address Jan 31, 2006

On Education: Administration refused to fund NCLB Act

Think about what’s occurring in education. The administration’s No Child Left Behind Act is wreaking havoc on local school districts. Despite the insistence of Democrats in Congress that the program should be funded as promised, the administration has opposed full funding and is refusing to let states try innovative alternatives. Now the Republican leadership in Washington is actually cutting billions of dollars from the student loan programs that serve working families, helping to get their children through college.

There’s a better way. Last year, governors from across the country worked together in a bipartisan fashion to reform the senior year of high school to make it serve our students better. Many states are working to make high-quality pre-kindergarten accessible to every family. Congressional Democrats have a plan to educate 100,000 new engineers, scientists and mathematicians in the next four years. The results: more accredited schools, better student test scores.

Source: Democratic Response to 2006 State of the Union address Jan 31, 2006

On Health Care: Bush fights states getting cheap Rx for seniors

Many states, following the lead of Illinois, have set up simple ways to help seniors purchase safe, American-made prescription drugs from other countries at a fraction of the price they would pay here. The administration actually fought against that Democratic effort. In Virginia, we’ve worked to provide health insurance coverage for nearly 140,000 more children. Republicans & Democrats alike have come together to fight the administration’s efforts to slash Medicaid & push more costs onto the states Source: Democratic Response to 2006 State of the Union address Jan 31, 2006

On Health Care: Our seniors were promised medications but got poor planning

Skyrocketing health care costs are hurting small businesses and pushing millions of working Americans into the ranks of the uninsured. The White House has made efforts to cut Medicaid funds for our most vulnerable citizens. Our seniors were promised that the new federal Medicare drug plan would make it easier and cheaper to obtain their medication. Instead, many have fallen victim to the program’s poor planning. They find getting their medicine to be more complex, more expensive and less reliable. Source: Democratic Response to 2006 State of the Union address Jan 31, 2006

On Principles & Values: Better way is to focus on service, common sense, & results

As Americans, we do great things when we work together. Some of our leaders in Washington seem to have forgotten that. I want to offer some good news tonight: There is a better way.

In Virginia -- and other states -- we’re moving ahead by focusing on service, competent management and results. It’s all about bringing people together to find common-sense solutions to our common problems. That’s how we in Virginia earned the ranking of America’s “Best Managed State.”

You know, no matter what political philosophy you hold or what state you call home, you have a right to expect that your government can deliver results. When there’s a crime or a fire, you expect that police and firefighters have the tools to respond. When there’s a natural disaster, you expect a well-managed response. When you send your children to school, you expect them to be prepared for success. And, you have a right to expect government to be fiscally responsible, pay the bills and live within its means.

Source: Democratic Response to 2006 State of the Union address Jan 31, 2006

On War & Peace: Americans were given inaccurate information regarding Iraq

The president called again tonight for our commitment to win the war on terror and to support our troops. Every American embraces those goals. We can--we must--defeat those who attack and kill innocent people.

Our commitment to winning the war on terror compels us to ask this question: Are the president’s policies the best way to win this war?

We now know that the American people were given inaccurate information about reasons for invading Iraq. We now know that our troops in Iraq were not given the best body armor or the best intelligence. We now know the administration wants to cut tens of thousands of troops at the very time that we’re facing new and dangerous threats. And we now know that the administration wants to further reduce military and veterans’ benefits. There’s a better way. Working together, we have to give our troops the tools they need to win the war on terror. And we can do it without sacrificing the liberty that we’ve sent our troops abroad to defend.

Source: Democratic Response to 2006 State of the Union address Jan 31, 2006

The above quotations are from State of the Union address to Joint Session of Congress, and the Democratic Response, Jan. 31, 2006. Click here for other excerpts from State of the Union address to Joint Session of Congress, and the Democratic Response, Jan. 31, 2006. Click here for other excerpts by Tim Kaine. Click here for a profile of Tim Kaine.
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Page last updated: Feb 24, 2019