+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| ######        |             |                   |   |                   |
|  **RHETORIC A |             |                   |   |                   |
| ND REALITY**  |             |                   |   |                   |
|               |             |                   |   |                   |
| ######        |             |                   |   |                   |
|  **The Presid |             |                   |   |                   |
| ent's 2004 St |             |                   |   |                   |
| ate of the Un |             |                   |   |                   |
| ion Address** |             |                   |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| ######        | ###### *    | #                 |   |                   |
|               | *Rhetoric** | ##### **Reality** |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| #             | "The tax    | **REPUBLICAN      | * |                   |
| ##### **Econo | relief you  | FAILURE**         | * |                   |
| my and Jobs** | passed is   |                   | D |                   |
|               | working\... |                   | E |                   |
|               |             |                   | M |                   |
|               | Ma          |                   | O |                   |
|               | nufacturing |                   | C |                   |
|               | activity is |                   | R |                   |
|               | in          |                   | A |                   |
|               | creasing... |                   | T |                   |
|               | And jobs    |                   | S |                   |
|               | are on the  |                   | H |                   |
|               | rise."      |                   | A |                   |
|               |             |                   | V |                   |
|               |             |                   | E |                   |
|               |             |                   | A |                   |
|               |             |                   | B |                   |
|               |             |                   | E |                   |
|               |             |                   | T |                   |
|               |             |                   | T |                   |
|               |             |                   | E |                   |
|               |             |                   | R |                   |
|               |             |                   | W |                   |
|               |             |                   | A |                   |
|               |             |                   | Y |                   |
|               |             |                   | * |                   |
|               |             |                   | * |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | Lost 3 million    | # |                   |
|               |             | private sector    | # |                   |
|               |             | jobs in the past  | # |                   |
|               |             | three years, with | # |                   |
|               |             | only 1,000 jobs   | # |                   |
|               |             | created last      | # |                   |
|               |             | month. Refuse to  | # |                   |
|               |             | extend UI         | # |                   |
|               |             | benefits to help  | # |                   |
|               |             | 4.6 million       |   |                   |
|               |             | seeking work.     | S |                   |
|               |             | Lost 2.6 million  | u |                   |
|               |             | manufacturing     | p |                   |
|               |             | jobs. Proposed    | p |                   |
|               |             | tax incentives    | o |                   |
|               |             | that would export | r |                   |
|               |             | manufacturing     | t |                   |
|               |             | jobs overseas.    |   |                   |
|               |             | Support           | i |                   |
|               |             | elimination of    | n |                   |
|               |             | overtime pay for  | c |                   |
|               |             | 8 million         | e |                   |
|               |             | Americans.        | n |                   |
|               |             |                   | t |                   |
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+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| ######        | "For the    | **REPUBLICAN      | * |                   |
|  **Tax Cuts** | sake of job | FAILURE**         | * |                   |
|               | growth, the |                   | D |                   |
|               | tax cuts    |                   | E |                   |
|               | you passed  |                   | M |                   |
|               | should be   |                   | O |                   |
|               | permanen    |                   | C |                   |
|               | t...\[and\] |                   | R |                   |
|               | by limiting |                   | A |                   |
|               | the growth  |                   | T |                   |
|               | in          |                   | S |                   |
|               | di          |                   | H |                   |
|               | scretionary |                   | A |                   |
|               | spending to |                   | V |                   |
|               | less than 4 |                   | E |                   |
|               | p           |                   | A |                   |
|               | ercent...we |                   | B |                   |
|               | can cut the |                   | E |                   |
|               | deficit in  |                   | T |                   |
|               | half over   |                   | T |                   |
|               | the next    |                   | E |                   |
|               | five years. |                   | R |                   |
|               | "           |                   | W |                   |
|               |             |                   | A |                   |
|               |             |                   | Y |                   |
|               |             |                   | * |                   |
|               |             |                   | * |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | About a third of  | S |                   |
|               |             | the move from a   | u |                   |
|               |             | \$3 trillion      | p |                   |
|               |             | Democratic        | p |                   |
|               |             | surplus to a \$6  | o |                   |
|               |             | trillion          | r |                   |
|               |             | Republican        | t |                   |
|               |             | deficit can be    | t |                   |
|               |             | attributed to tax | a |                   |
|               |             | cuts, with this   | r |                   |
|               |             | share rising over | g |                   |
|               |             | time.  National   | e |                   |
|               |             | deficit at record | t |                   |
|               |             | high of at least  | e |                   |
|               |             | \$6 trillion over | d |                   |
|               |             | 10 years.         | t |                   |
|               |             | Additional tax    | a |                   |
|               |             | cuts will only    | x |                   |
|               |             | worsen the        | c |                   |
|               |             | deficit.          | u |                   |
|               |             |                   | t |                   |
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|               |             |                   | . |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| ###### **Work | "So we must | **REPUBLICAN      | * |                   |
| er Training** | respond by  | FAILURE**         | * |                   |
|               | helping     |                   | D |                   |
|               | more        |                   | E |                   |
|               | Americans   |                   | M |                   |
|               | gain the    |                   | O |                   |
|               | skills to   |                   | C |                   |
|               | find good   |                   | R |                   |
|               | jobs in our |                   | A |                   |
|               | new         |                   | T |                   |
|               | economy."   |                   | S |                   |
|               |             |                   | H |                   |
|               |             |                   | A |                   |
|               |             |                   | V |                   |
|               |             |                   | E |                   |
|               |             |                   | A |                   |
|               |             |                   | B |                   |
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|               |             |                   | A |                   |
|               |             |                   | Y |                   |
|               |             |                   | * |                   |
|               |             |                   | * |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | Proposed \$1      | I |                   |
|               |             | billion cut in    | n |                   |
|               |             | employment and    | c |                   |
|               |             | job training      | r |                   |
|               |             | programs over the | e |                   |
|               |             | past 3 years.     | a |                   |
|               |             |                   | s |                   |
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|               |             |                   | f |                   |
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|               |             |                   | s |                   |
|               |             |                   | . |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| ######        | ###### *    | #                 |   |                   |
|               | *Rhetoric** | ##### **Reality** |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| **Medicare**  | "By         | **REPUBLICAN      |   | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
|               | st          | FAILURE**         |   | A BETTER WAY**    |
|               | rengthening |                   |   |                   |
|               | Medicare    |                   |   |                   |
|               | and adding  |                   |   |                   |
|               | a           |                   |   |                   |
|               | p           |                   |   |                   |
|               | rescription |                   |   |                   |
|               | drug        |                   |   |                   |
|               | benefit,    |                   |   |                   |
|               | you kept a  |                   |   |                   |
|               | basic       |                   |   |                   |
|               | commitment  |                   |   |                   |
|               | to our      |                   |   |                   |
|               | seniors:    |                   |   |                   |
|               | You are     |                   |   |                   |
|               | giving them |                   |   |                   |
|               | the modern  |                   |   |                   |
|               | medicine    |                   |   |                   |
|               | they        |                   |   |                   |
|               | deserve."   |                   |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | Allow HMOs and    |   | Support a         |
|               |             | private insurers  |   | prescription drug |
|               |             | to decide what    |   | plan that would   |
|               |             | kind of drug      |   | let seniors       |
|               |             | benefit seniors   |   | choose their own  |
|               |             | get and how much  |   | doctors. Allow    |
|               |             | they pay. Many    |   | Medicare to       |
|               |             | seniors will be   |   | negotiate drug    |
|               |             | worse off: 2.7    |   | discounts. Ensure |
|               |             | million retirees  |   | that American     |
|               |             | lose their drug   |   | consumers can     |
|               |             | coverage.         |   | benefit from the  |
|               |             | Prohibit Medicare |   | lower             |
|               |             | from negotiating  |   | prescription drug |
|               |             | the best prices   |   | prices in other   |
|               |             | for seniors.      |   | countries.        |
|               |             | Prevent Americans |   |                   |
|               |             | from getting      |   |                   |
|               |             | lower priced      |   |                   |
|               |             | drugs from other  |   |                   |
|               |             | countries.        |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| **Access**    | "By keeping | **REPUBLICAN      |   | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
|               | costs under | FAILURE**         |   | A BETTER WAY**    |
| **to Health   | control,    |                   |   |                   |
| Care**        | expanding   |                   |   |                   |
|               | access, and |                   |   |                   |
|               | helping     |                   |   |                   |
|               | more        |                   |   |                   |
|               | Americans   |                   |   |                   |
|               | afford      |                   |   |                   |
|               | coverage,   |                   |   |                   |
|               | we will     |                   |   |                   |
|               | preserve    |                   |   |                   |
|               | the system  |                   |   |                   |
|               | of private  |                   |   |                   |
|               | medicine    |                   |   |                   |
|               | that makes  |                   |   |                   |
|               | America's   |                   |   |                   |
|               | health care |                   |   |                   |
|               | the best in |                   |   |                   |
|               | the         |                   |   |                   |
|               | worl        |                   |   |                   |
|               | d...\[And\] |                   |   |                   |
|               | we must     |                   |   |                   |
|               | eliminate   |                   |   |                   |
|               | frivolous   |                   |   |                   |
|               | medical     |                   |   |                   |
|               | lawsuits."  |                   |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | 3.8 million       |   | Support           |
|               |             | people lost       |   | assistance for    |
|               |             | health insurance  |   | small businesses  |
|               |             | in the past three |   | to help them      |
|               |             | years. A \$1,000  |   | provide good      |
|               |             | tax credit for    |   | health insurance  |
|               |             | individual        |   | to their workers. |
|               |             | coverage covers   |   | Support measures  |
|               |             | only 1.9 million  |   | to reduce         |
|               |             | of 44 million     |   | prescription drug |
|               |             | uninsured and     |   | prices and health |
|               |             | would undermine   |   | care premiums for |
|               |             | employer-based    |   | everyone. Support |
|               |             | insurance.        |   | curbs on          |
|               |             | Support tort      |   | frivolous         |
|               |             | reform proposals  |   | lawsuits but      |
|               |             | that fail to      |   | protect injured   |
|               |             | lower insurance   |   | patients' right   |
|               |             | premiums and hurt |   | to sue            |
|               |             | patients who have |   | incompetent or    |
|               |             | been harmed by    |   | negligent         |
|               |             | medical           |   | providers.        |
|               |             | malpractice.      |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| **            | "I urge you | **REPUBLICAN      |   | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
| Environment** | to pass     | FAILURE**         |   | A BETTER WAY**    |
|               | legis       |                   |   |                   |
|               | lation...to |                   |   |                   |
|               | promote     |                   |   |                   |
|               | con         |                   |   |                   |
|               | servation." |                   |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | Cut funding for   |   | Fighting to block |
|               |             | clean water and   |   | GOP efforts to    |
|               |             | other             |   | weaken the Clean  |
|               |             | environmental     |   | Air Act and Clean |
|               |             | programs. Cut     |   | Water Act.        |
|               |             | annual number of  |   | Protect national  |
|               |             | Superfund         |   | forests and       |
|               |             | clean-ups by      |   | oppose drilling   |
|               |             | almost 50         |   | in ANWR. Fully    |
|               |             | percent. Refuse   |   | fund Superfund    |
|               |             | to hold polluters |   | cleanups and      |
|               |             | responsible for   |   | reinstate         |
|               |             | the damage they   |   | "polluter pays"   |
|               |             | have done. Trying |   | principle.        |
|               |             | to open roadless  |   |                   |
|               |             | areas in national |   |                   |
|               |             | forests to        |   |                   |
|               |             | logging and open  |   |                   |
|               |             | ANWR to drilling. |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| ######        | ###### *    | #                 |   |                   |
|               | *Rhetoric** | ##### **Reality** |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| **Social      | "Younger    | **REPUBLICAN      |   | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
| Security and  | workers     | FAILURE**         |   | A BETTER WAY**    |
| Retirement    | should have |                   |   |                   |
| Savings**     | the         |                   |   |                   |
|               | opportunity |                   |   |                   |
|               | to build a  |                   |   |                   |
|               | nest egg by |                   |   |                   |
|               | saving part |                   |   |                   |
|               | of their    |                   |   |                   |
|               | Social      |                   |   |                   |
|               | Security\   |                   |   |                   |
|               | taxes in a  |                   |   |                   |
|               | personal    |                   |   |                   |
|               | retirement  |                   |   |                   |
|               | account."   |                   |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | Spend the entire  |   | Protect Social    |
|               |             | \$2.2 trillion    |   | Security and      |
|               |             | Social Security   |   | oppose            |
|               |             | Trust Fund        |   | privatization.    |
|               |             | surplus over 10   |   | Strengthen        |
|               |             | years on tax cuts |   | retirement        |
|               |             | for the wealthy.  |   | security by       |
|               |             | Support           |   | helping small     |
|               |             | privatization of  |   | businesses        |
|               |             | Social Security.  |   | provide pension   |
|               |             | Propose new tax   |   | coverage, require |
|               |             | shelters for the  |   | companies that    |
|               |             | wealthy in lieu   |   | change their      |
|               |             | of real           |   | pension plans to  |
|               |             | retirement        |   | protect older     |
|               |             | savings plan for  |   | workers, and make |
|               |             | middle class      |   | sure that the     |
|               |             | families.         |   | same pension      |
|               |             |                   |   | rules apply to    |
|               |             |                   |   | executives and    |
|               |             |                   |   | employees.        |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| **Education** | "\[T\]he No | **REPUBLICAN      |   | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
|               | Child Left  | FAILURE**         |   | A BETTER WAY**    |
|               | Behind Act  |                   |   |                   |
|               | is opening  |                   |   |                   |
|               | the door of |                   |   |                   |
|               | opportunity |                   |   |                   |
|               | to all of   |                   |   |                   |
|               | America\'s  |                   |   |                   |
|               | chi         |                   |   |                   |
|               | ldren\...We |                   |   |                   |
|               | are         |                   |   |                   |
|               | providing   |                   |   |                   |
|               | more        |                   |   |                   |
|               | funding for |                   |   |                   |
|               | our schools |                   |   |                   |
|               | -- a 36     |                   |   |                   |
|               | percent     |                   |   |                   |
|               | increase    |                   |   |                   |
|               | since       |                   |   |                   |
|               | 2001."      |                   |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | Underfunded the   |   | Fully fund the No |
|               |             | No Child Left     |   | Child Left Behind |
|               |             | Behind Act by     |   | Act so that all   |
|               |             | almost \$17       |   | children get the  |
|               |             | billion since the |   | services          |
|               |             | bill was passed,  |   | promised.         |
|               |             | leaving millions  |   | Increase the      |
|               |             | of children       |   | maximum Pell      |
|               |             | without promised  |   | Grant to \$5,800  |
|               |             | help with reading |   | this year,        |
|               |             | and math. Froze   |   | doubling the HOPE |
|               |             | funding for Pell  |   | Scholarship to    |
|               |             | Grants and        |   | \$3,000 per       |
|               |             | Perkins Loans.    |   | student, and make |
|               |             |                   |   | the HOPE tax      |
|               |             |                   |   | credit            |
|               |             |                   |   | refundable.       |
|               |             |                   |   | Create incentives |
|               |             |                   |   | for colleges and  |
|               |             |                   |   | universities to   |
|               |             |                   |   | reduce costs.     |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
| ####### **    | "My         | **REPUBLICAN      |   | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
| Immigration** | temporary   | FAILURE**         |   | A BETTER WAY**    |
|               | worker      |                   |   |                   |
|               | program     |                   |   |                   |
|               | will        |                   |   |                   |
|               | preserve    |                   |   |                   |
|               | the         |                   |   |                   |
|               | citizenship |                   |   |                   |
|               | path for    |                   |   |                   |
|               | those who   |                   |   |                   |
|               | respect the |                   |   |                   |
|               | law\..."    |                   |   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+
|               |             | Have failed to    |   | Enact bipartisan  |
|               |             | move bipartisan   |   | immigration       |
|               |             | bills to help     |   | reform that       |
|               |             | agricultural      |   | respects our core |
|               |             | workers and       |   | values -- family  |
|               |             | students. New     |   | unity, fairness,  |
|               |             | plan does not     |   | and economic      |
|               |             | provide path to   |   | opportunity for   |
|               |             | citizenship.      |   | all.              |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+---+-------------------+

########  

######## 

+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| ######        | ###### *    | #                 |                   |
|               | *Rhetoric** | ##### **Reality** |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| ###           | "..\[W\]e   | **REPUBLICAN      | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
| #### **Homela | must        | FAILURE**         | A BETTER WAY**    |
| nd Security** | continue to |                   |                   |
|               | give        |                   |                   |
|               | homeland    |                   |                   |
|               | security    |                   |                   |
|               | and law     |                   |                   |
|               | enforcement |                   |                   |
|               | personnel   |                   |                   |
|               | every tool  |                   |                   |
|               | they need   |                   |                   |
|               | to defend   |                   |                   |
|               | us."        |                   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|               |             | Froze the budget  | Fully equip first |
|               |             | for homeland      | responders,       |
|               |             | security, voted   | increase          |
|               |             | against           | protection at our |
|               |             | Democratic        | borders, secure   |
|               |             | amendments to add | our ports,        |
|               |             | needed resources. | implement 100     |
|               |             | Only 3% of cargo  | percent           |
|               |             | entering U.S. is  | inspection of     |
|               |             | inspected, and    | cargo entering    |
|               |             | GOP failed to     | the U.S., improve |
|               |             | provide needed    | our domestic      |
|               |             | funds for Coast   | nuclear security, |
|               |             | Guard. Fire       | and protect our   |
|               |             | departments have  | communities       |
|               |             | radios for only   | against a         |
|               |             | half of a shift,  | bioterrorist      |
|               |             | and breathing     | attack.           |
|               |             | equipment for     |                   |
|               |             | only one-third.   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| **National    | "From the   | **REPUBLICAN      | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
| Security**    | beginning,  | FAILURE**         | A BETTER WAY**    |
|               | America has |                   |                   |
|               | sought      |                   |                   |
|               | in          |                   |                   |
|               | ternational |                   |                   |
|               | support for |                   |                   |
|               | operations  |                   |                   |
|               | in Iraq,    |                   |                   |
|               | and we have |                   |                   |
|               | gained much |                   |                   |
|               | support."   |                   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|               |             | Pursued a         | Work with allies  |
|               |             | go-it-alone       | and international |
|               |             | foreign policy    | institutions,     |
|               |             | that leaves us    | such as NATO and  |
|               |             | isolated abroad.  | the United        |
|               |             | American          | Nations, to       |
|               |             | taxpayers are     | secure the        |
|               |             | bearing almost    | manpower and      |
|               |             | all of the \$120  | money necessary   |
|               |             | billion cost of   | to build a secure |
|               |             | the Iraqi         | and stable Iraq,  |
|               |             | operations and    | and to secure     |
|               |             | American troops   | poorly guarded    |
|               |             | are enduring      | nuclear,          |
|               |             | almost all the    | chemical, and     |
|               |             | casualties.       | biological        |
|               |             |                   | weapons around    |
|               |             |                   | the world.        |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| ###           | **NO        | **REPUBLICAN      | **DEMOCRATS HAVE  |
| ### **Veteran | MENTION**   | FAILURE**         | A BETTER WAY**    |
| s' Benefits** |             |                   |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+
|               |             | Proposed \$28     | Ensure full       |
|               |             | billion in cuts   | payment of both   |
|               |             | to veterans'      | retirement pay    |
|               |             | health and        | and disability    |
|               |             | benefits over 10  | compensation to   |
|               |             | years. Support    | 500,000 disabled  |
|               |             | elimination of    | military retirees |
|               |             | health care       | immediately.      |
|               |             | services for      | Fully fund        |
|               |             | 26,500 veterans   | veterans health   |
|               |             | and failed to     | care. Support     |
|               |             | provide promised  | permanent pay     |
|               |             | \$1.8 billion for | increases and     |
|               |             | 2004. Left        | bonuses for       |
|               |             | 348,000 veterans  | soldiers in       |
|               |             | waiting for       | combat.           |
|               |             | disability claims |                   |
|               |             | decisions.        |                   |
|               |             | Proposed cutting  |                   |
|               |             | \$1.5 billion     |                   |
|               |             | from military     |                   |
|               |             | housing and to    |                   |
|               |             | reduce pay.       |                   |
+---------------+-------------+-------------------+-------------------+

![](media/image1.jpeg){width="0.6840277777777778in"
height="0.43680555555555556in"} **[Office of the House Democratic
Leader, January 20, 2004](http://www.housedemocrats.gov/)**
![](media/image1.jpeg){width="0.70625in" height="0.4395833333333333in"}