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Last night, I attended President George W. Bush's final State of the Union address.

With a struggling economy and the continuing war in Iraq, I was looking to hear the President offer some fresh ideas to solve many of our country's most pressing problems.

Unfortunately, all I heard was more of the same.

More Of The Same Failed Bush Economic Policies

The Congress will continue to work with President Bush in a bi-partisan manner to meet the needs of the American people. However, for a nation that is facing a potential economic crisis, I was dismayed that the President offered no new ideas to the American people and no perspective on the span of his Administration.

We applaud the development of and look forward to the passage of the Economic Stimulus package. Though the package is a bi-partisan agreement, the Democratic leaders in the House pushed to ensure that as many people in the middle and lower tax brackets would gain some benefit from the stimulus package.

The Congress will continue to work with President Bush in a bi-partisan manner to meet the needs of the American people. However, for a nation that is facing a potential economic crisis, I was dismayed that the President offered no new ideas to the American people and no perspective on the span of his Administration.

We applaud the development of and look forward to the passage of the Economic Stimulus package. Though the package is a bi-partisan agreement, the Democratic leaders in the House pushed to ensure that as many people in the middle and lower tax brackets would gain some benefit from the stimulus package.

Washington, D.C. -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid released the following statement following President Bush's State of the Union Address. Below are their remarks:

In just a few weeks, we will mark the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. Five years later, the political and economic situation on the ground has changed little, while the rest of the world, including the United States, has changed significantly.

The President continues to ignore the bigger picture in Iraq. It is not a question of what happens to Iraq if we leave; it's a question of what happens to America if we stay. It's a question of whether America can afford to continue spending $343 million every day in Iraq, while growing our national debt by nearly $1 million every minute.

In just a few weeks, we will mark the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. Five years later, the political and economic situation on the ground has changed little, while the rest of the world, including the United States, has changed significantly.

The President continues to ignore the bigger picture in Iraq. It is not a question of what happens to Iraq if we leave; it's a question of what happens to America if we stay. It's a question of whether America can afford to continue spending $343 million every day in Iraq, while growing our national debt by nearly $1 million every minute.

Last year, in his State of the Union Address, President Bush called for the creation of an "Opportunity Scholarships Program" -- which was actually just a clever name for a proposal to drain much-needed money away from cash-strapped public schools and use it to fund private school vouchers. Private school vouchers are a bad idea, and that's why the President's proposal never went anywhere. This year, the President is reviving his private school voucher plan, but this time with a new name: "Pell Grants for Kids." Apparently the President believes that if you just get the name right, the bad policy doesn't matter.

Last year, in his State of the Union Address, President Bush called for the creation of an "Opportunity Scholarships Program" -- which was actually just a clever name for a proposal to drain much-needed money away from cash-strapped public schools and use it to fund private school vouchers. Private school vouchers are a bad idea, and that's why the President's proposal never went anywhere. This year, the President is reviving his private school voucher plan, but this time with a new name: "Pell Grants for Kids." Apparently the President believes that if you just get the name right, the bad policy doesn't matter.