October 26, 2007

Bush To Congress: I'm Not Mad, I'm Just Disappointed

President Bush, back in Washington today after a trip to Southern California to survey the devastation caused by raging wildfires there, delivered a harsh rebuke to congressional Democrats in a televised address from the Roosevelt Room.

Bush said that upon returning to the White House, he "was disappointed by what Congress had been doing -- and even more disappointed by what they had not been doing." He accused lawmakers of "wasting time" by voting yesterday on a slightly revised version of a bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program instead of working to pass already delayed appropriation bills, approve supplemental funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and confirm the nomination of Michael Mukasey to be attorney general.

Bush said that he had appointed members of his administration to negotiate with Congress on a compromise SCHIP bill, but instead "the House once again passed a bill that they knew would not become law," indicating that he would veto the legislation for a second time if it arrives on his desk. Yesterday's House vote failed to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto.

AP and The Hill have more analysis of Bush's remarks, and the Washington Post has responses from Democratic leaders.

Posted at 2:55 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, Health, House, Michael Mukasey, President Bush
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