Following four years of unprecedented spending increases, the note of fiscal discipline in President Bush??¢â???¬â???¢s State of the Union Address was overdue but very welcomed, said American Conservative Union Chairman David A. Keene.
??¢â???¬?????The Republican Congress has shown that it cannot control spending,??¢â???¬ Keene said. ??¢â???¬?????It therefore falls upon the President to impose fiscal discipline on these profligate Republicans.
??¢â???¬?????Mr. Bush should have exercised his veto in his first term to rein in federal spending. Nevertheless, the American Conservative Union welcomes his pledge to put the brakes on spending and looks forward to seeing some tough spending restrains reflected in the budget the Administration will submit to Congress.??¢â???¬
ACU also endorsed the President??¢â???¬â???¢s call for Social Security modernization.
??¢â???¬?????President Bush could have just kicked the can down the road on Social Security,??¢â???¬ Keene said. ??¢â???¬?????After all, the system won??¢â???¬â???¢t become insolvent until he??¢â???¬â???¢s long out of office. So the President deserves full credit for taking on this issue.
??¢â???¬?????Modernizing the 70-year-old Social Security system is about expanding liberty, about giving Americans more choices and more control of their own retirement futures, while securing benefits for current retirees. ACU fully supports the President??¢â???¬â???¢s call for voluntary personal retirement accounts to supplement Social Security and keep it solvent for future generations of Americans. ACU looks forward to working with the Administration to pass a sound reform bill through the Congress and Senate.??¢â???¬
