Tonight, President Bush will address the nation with his final report on the State of the Union. I am looking forward to listening to his priorities for 2008, and I am eager to find common ground with him and members from both sides of the aisle to solve the problems we face. That’s what I promised when I came to Washington, and that’s what Hoosiers expect.

 

They want Congress to put our nation’s interests above our political interests. When we do, I think Republicans and Democrats agree on more than we disagree.

 

We agree that every child should have access to a quality education, and that lack of money should never prevent someone from seeing a doctor. We recognize the dangers of relying on foreign countries for our energy sources, and we all want our fighting men and women to return home safely as soon as possible.

 

Undoubtedly, there will be disagreements and spirited debate over how we meet these goals. But our disagreements should never get in the way of finding real solutions to the problems we face.

 

In particular, I hope that Congress and the President will move forward quickly to pass a short-term economic stimulus package that targets those who need it most in a timely way. It’s no secret that middle-class families are struggling to shoulder the burden of rising gas prices, health care costs, college tuition, and home heating bills. And many small business owners are just trying to keep their heads above water. Congress has a responsibility to take action and provide relief through common sense measures to boost our economy.

 

With the weakening economy, many parents are also struggling to provide health care coverage for their children. In fact, there are an estimated 161,000 uninsured children in Indiana and 9 million uninsured children nationwide. Sadly, up to 2/3 of these children are eligible for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), but are currently not enrolled. That’s why I hope the President and Congress will set aside their differences and work together to ensure that children who are eligible for this program get the health care coverage they deserve.

 

We also must work together to help put our country on a path toward permanent energy independence by increasing investment in home-grown and alternative energy sources. This isn’t just good economic policy, it’s good national security policy too.

 

And, regardless of our individual opinions on the War in Iraq, Congress must continue to give our men and women in uniform our full support even as we try to reach agreement on the best path forward.

 

There is no question, America faces serious challenges. But the bottom line is we’re stronger when we face them together. I will do my part and will continue to work for common sense solutions here in Washington.