Iowa’s entire congressional delegation — the five republicans and two democrats — are saluting President Bush’s State of the Union address for its focus on the war effort, and the need to rejuvenate the U-S economy.Republican Senator Charles Grassley says Bush struck a conciliatory tone, showing he’s willing to expend political capital to continue the bipartisan effort. Democrat Senator Tom Harkin agrees. He says it was a powerful, well delivered speech. Harkin says Bush outlined items both democrats and republicans can agree upon.Republican Congressman Jim Leach of Davenport says the President’s tone was right on the mark. He says there is within the Congress a lot of underlying tension and Leach says it’ll be interesting to see if that particular tone is reciprocated. Leach says the priorities of the speech were right on the mark, too.Republican Congressman Greg Ganske of Des Moines says Bush sounded the themes Americans revere, such as free speech, equal justice and religious tolerance.Democrat Congressman Leonard Boswell of Davis City sits on the House Intelligence Committee and read a bit more into Bush’s comments about ensuring Iraq, Iran and North Korea do not obtain or sell “weapons of mass destruction.” Boswell says Bush made some strong statements and he says the President might be a signal we’re ready to move on to another area.Republican Congressman Tom Latham of Alexander says the President laid out the country’s agenda for the war on terrorism and the need to strengthen homeland security.Bush didn’t mention Enron, but did call for new laws that’d provide more safeguards for pension and 401K funds. Republican Senator Charles Grassley sits on the Senate Finance Committee, which will debate those proposals. He says he’s glad it’s a priority.Republican Congressman Greg Ganske of Des Moines expects those reforms to easily pass through Congress.Bush outlined some of his budget plans last night, including an additional 50 billion dollars in defense spending. Republican Congressman Jim Nussle of Manchester, chairman of the House Budget Committee, says most of Bush’s proposals will sail through the Republican-controlled House — the big question is how they’ll fare in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Nussle says the senate has been unable thus far to move trade bills ahead.President Bush made a direct reference to the Farm Bill, calling for a “productive farm policy” but Senator Tom Harkin, chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, hoped for a bit more than those three words.Harkin expects the Farm Bill to come up a vote in the Senate next week.Congressman Tom Latham thinks the President’s Farm Bill remark was “warmly received.”
Iowa's Radio News Network
