State of the Union: Analyzing Bush’s Agenda for the Next Four Years

In his State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night,
President Bush is expected to spell out many of the specifics of his domestic and national security agenda, not just for the year ahead but for his entire second term in the White House.

While his recent inaugural speech struck a lofty but non-specific tone, the president’s State of the Union address is expected to provide details of his proposals for Social Security reform, changes in the tax system, tort reform, the federal budget, renewing the USA PATRIOT Act, and many other initiatives.

At this forum the day after the State of the Union speech, Brookings scholars with expertise in the relevant issues will analyze the president’s proposals, as well as the outlook for their passage, and the mood and divisions in Congress and in the country as the debate over Bush’s second-term agenda begins.

The panelists will answer questions from the audience.