Carper: Consensus and Fiscal Discipline are Keys to Successful State of the Union

WILMINGTON, DE – President Bush will deliver his State of the Union to a Congress supportive of his anti-terror efforts and committed to finding bipartisan solutions to domestic problems, Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) said today. Carper urged Bush to set a tone of fiscal discipline and pledge to work across party lines to stimulate the economy, pass a national energy plan and continue successful welfare reform efforts. “He will find a Congress supportive of our war abroad but concerned about finding solutions to economic problems here at home,” Carper said. “Bipartisanship is about more than words – it’s about getting things done. We can come together on a national energy policy. We can find consensus on the next steps in welfare reform. But we cannot let small differences stand in the way of reaching larger goals.” Carper cautioned the President against promising “all things to all people” in this time of decreasing federal revenues and increased federal commitments to homeland security. “The President has a chance to set a tone of fiscal discipline and I hope he does. The fight for greater fiscal discipline is difficult, but necessary,” Carper said. “It will take Presidential leadership to stop our nation from sliding back into years of budget deficits. The President must show Congress he has that resolve, and we must respond if he does. With four trillion dollars in budget surplus having disappeared in eight months, the President has a chance now to set a tone of fiscal discipline. I hope he does.”