State of the Union 2007: President Bush Faces a New Congress

With two years left in his presidency, George W. Bush delivered his State of the Union address on Jan. 23 to a Congress now controlled by Democrats. President Bush has said he wants lawmakers to join him in balancing the budget, trimming spending bills, and finding common ground on issues ranging from the war on Iraq to skyrocketing health care costs.

On Jan. 24, leading Brookings experts discussed the president’s agenda on tax reform, foreign policy, and Social Security reform. Scholars also considered how Bush’s 2007 State of the Union Address will shape the last two years of his term, as well as his presidential legacy.

Pietro S. Nivola, Brookings vice president and director of Governance Studies, led the discussion. Panelists included Carlos Pascual, Brookings vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies; William A. Galston, a senior fellow in Governance Studies; William Frenzel, former member of Congress and a guest scholar in the Economic Studies Program; and David B. Sandalow, energy and environment scholar in Foreign Policy Studies.