2008 State of the Union Address

Speech by US president George W. Bush

2008 State of the Union Address

President George W. Bush during the speech, with Vice President Dick Cheney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi behind him

Date| January 28, 2008 (2008-01-28)
Time| 9:00 p.m. EST
Duration| 52 minutes
Venue| House Chamber, United States Capitol
Location| Washington, D.C.
Coordinates| 38°53′19.8″N 77°00′32.8″W﻿ / ﻿38.888833°N 77.009111°W﻿ / 38.888833; -77.009111
Type| State of the Union Address
Participants|

* George W. Bush
* Dick Cheney
* Nancy Pelosi

Previous| 2007 State of the Union Address
Next| 2009 Joint session speech

The 2008 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 28, 2008, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 110th United States Congress. It was Bush's seventh and final State of the Union Address and his eighth and final speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by Dick Cheney, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.

2008 State of the Union Address

George W. Bush delivers his eighth State of the Union address on January 28, 2008.

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## Topics

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The White House indicated beforehand that President Bush's speech would mention the following policies:[1]

>   * Economy: Keeping the economy healthy
>   * Budget: Staying on track to a balanced budget by 2012
>   * Housing: Modernize the Federal Housing Administration to avoid foreclosures
>   * National Security: Giving our national security professionals tools they need to protect America
>   * Iraq War: Continued progress in Iraq allows "Return on Success"
>   * Global War on Terror: Keeping America safe by fostering the freedom agenda
>   * Veterans: Supporting the nation's troops and their families
>   * No Child Left Behind: Plan to undergo a $300 million expansion opportunity
>   * Education: Empowering parents with more choices for their children's education
>   * Free Trade: Opening new markets and expanding opportunities through free trade
>   * Energy: Increasing the energy security and confronting climate change
>   * Healthcare: Empowering Americans with affordable options for health care
>   * Stem cell research: Increasing federal support for ethical stem cell research
>   * Faith-based initiatives: Helping those in need through the faith-based and community initiatives
>   * Immigration: Improving border security and immigration
>   * Compassion: Advancing an agenda of compassion worldwide
>   * Disease: Protecting others from diseases such as AIDS
>   * Science: Requesting that Congress double federal spending on basic physical research

> — White House Office of Communications, January 2008

## Democratic response

[edit]

In keeping with tradition of Democrats from red states giving the response, Governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius delivered the Democratic response from the Governor's Mansion in Topeka.[2] It has been noted that she focused not on the usual Democratic rebuttal, but more so on the need to get past partisan politics to get the important legislation passed in a timely manner. She was picked by Democratic congressional leaders to make the response because of her ability to reach across partisan lines.[3]

Texas state Senator Leticia Van de Putte gave the Democratic response in Spanish.[4]

## Libertarian response

[edit]

Libertarian Party Chair William Redpath issued a written response to the State of the Union on behalf of the national Libertarian Party.[5]

Steve Kubby, a candidate for the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nomination, delivered his own "State of the Union address" via Internet video on January 25, 2008, three days before President Bush's speech. Framed as a preemption rather than merely a response,[6] Kubby's speech attempted to predict the themes President Bush would strike and offered Kubby's own proposals in their stead.

## See also

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* 2008 United States presidential election

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 2008 State of the Union Policy Initiatives
2. ^ Text of State of Union Response: the Democratic response to the State of the Union address delivered by Kathleen Sebelius
3. ^ Sebelius response rejects divisive politics, Kansas City Star
4. ^ Terrence Stutz (January 28, 2008). "Texas Sen. Leticia Van de Putte to give Democrats' Spanish State of the Union response". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on January 31, 2008. Retrieved January 28, 2008. "She will deliver the Spanish Democratic response to the president's State of the Union speech tonight; Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will give the English one. Ms. Van de Putte was selected for the role by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid."
5. ^ The Libertarian Party's Response to the State of the Union Address Archived 2008-01-31 at the Wayback Machine, LP web site
6. ^ Libertarian Beats President Bush to the Punch on State of the Union, PRWeb

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 State of the Union Address.

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

2008 State of the Union Address

* "Senate" (PDF). Congressional Record. 154 (13). Washington, DC: United States Government Publishing Office: S390 – S394. January 28, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2024.S390+-+S394&rft.date=2008-01-28&rft_id=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2008-01-28/pdf/CREC-2008-01-28-senate.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:2008+State+of+the+Union+Address" class="Z3988">
* "2008 State of the Union Address". C-SPAN. January 28, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
* "State of the Union Response". C-SPAN. January 28, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
* 2008 State of the Union Response (transcript)

Preceded by

2007 State of the Union Address

|  State of the Union addresses
2008  | Succeeded by

2010 State of the Union Address

|
|

* v
* t
* e

George W. Bush

* 43rd President of the United States (2001–2009)
* 46th Governor of Texas (1995–2000)

Presidency
(timeline)|

* Transition
* 1st inauguration
* 2nd inauguration
* Timeline
* 2001
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* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* January 2009
* Domestic policy
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* Foreign policy
* International trips
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* Slovenia
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* War in Afghanistan
* Status of Forces Agreement
* Patriot Act
* No Child Left Behind Act
* Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act
* USA Freedom Corps
* Department of Homeland Security
* Space policy
* Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty
* "War on Terror"
* President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
* award
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* Email controversy
* Judicial appointments
* Supreme Court candidates
* John Roberts
* Harriet Miers
* Samuel Alito
* controversies
* Cabinet
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* Impeachment efforts
* Executive orders
* Presidential proclamations
* State funeral of Ronald Reagan
* State funeral of Gerald Ford
* Obama transition

Life and
legacy|

* Childhood home
* Early life and career
* Presidential library
* Official White House portrait
* Military service controversy
* Killian documents controversy
* authenticity issues
* Professional life
* Governorship of Texas
* Prairie Chapel Ranch
* Walker's Point Estate
* Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

Speeches|

* Joint session of Congress (Feb 2001)
* Remarks at the Islamic Center of Washington (2001)
* Joint session of Congress (September 11 attacks) (2001)
* Mission Accomplished (2003)
* State of the Union addresses
* 2002 ("Axis of evil")
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008

Elections|

| U.S. House|

* 1978

|

Gubernatorial|

* 1994
* 1998

Presidential|

* 2000 campaign
* primaries
* running mate selection
* convention
* debates
* election
* Bush v. Gore
* 2004 campaign
* primaries
* convention
* debates
* election

Public image|

* Bushisms
* Nicknames
* As the subject of books and films
* Fictionalized portrayals
* Miss Me Yet?
* "Yo, Blair"

Books|

* A Charge to Keep (1999)
* Decision Points (2010)
* 41: A Portrait of My Father (2014)
* Portraits of Courage (2017)
* Out of Many, One (2021)

Popular
culture|

* Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004 documentary)
* W. (2008 film)

Family|

* Laura Bush (wife)
* Barbara Pierce Bush (daughter)
* Jenna Bush Hager (daughter)
* George H. W. Bush (father
* presidency)
* Barbara Bush (mother)
* Robin Bush (sister)
* Jeb Bush (brother)
* Neil Bush (brother)
* Marvin Bush (brother)
* Dorothy Bush Koch (sister)
* Barney (dog)
* Miss Beazley (dog)
* India (cat)
* Spot Fetcher (dog)

* ← Bill Clinton
* Barack Obama →

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Nancy Pelosi

* 52nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (2007–2011, 2019–2023)
* Leader of the House Democrats (2003–2023)
* House Minority Leader (2003–2007, 2011–2019)

Speakership|

* 100-Hour Plan
* 2007 State of the Union Address
* 2008 State of the Union Address
* 2009 Joint Session Address
* 2010 State of the Union Address
* 2019 State of the Union Address
* 2020 State of the Union Address
* First Trump impeachment
* January 6 Capital attack
* Second Trump impeachment
* 2021 Joint Session Address
* 2022 State of the Union Address
* Visit to Taiwan

Elections|

| U.S. Representative|

* 1987 special
* 1988
* 1990
* 1992
* 1994
* 1996
* 1998
* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006
* 2008
* 2010
* 2012
* 2014
* 2016
* 2018
* 2020
* 2022
* 2024

|

Speaker|

* 2003
* 2005
* 2007
* 2009
* 2011
* 2013
* 2015
* January
* October
* 2017
* 2019
* 2021

Books|

* Know Your Power (2008)
* The Art of Power (2024)

Family|

* Paul Pelosi (husband)
* Christine Pelosi (daughter)
* Alexandra Pelosi (daughter)
* Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. (father)
* Thomas D'Alesandro III (brother)

Related|

* Awards and honors
* Attack on Paul Pelosi
* Pelosi in the House (2022)

* v
* t
* e

State of the Union (list)

* Joint session of Congress
* list
* President's guests
* Designated survivor
* Responses
* State of the State
* State of the City

| Washington|

* Jan. 1790
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J. Adams|

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* 1833
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Van Buren|

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Harrison|

* None

Tyler|

* 1841
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Polk|

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Taylor|

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Fillmore|

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Pierce|

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Lincoln|

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A. Johnson|

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Hayes|

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Garfield|

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Arthur|

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Cleveland (1)|

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Harrison|

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Cleveland (2)|

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McKinley|

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T. Roosevelt|

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Taft|

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Wilson|

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Harding|

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Coolidge|

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Hoover|

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F. Roosevelt|

* 1934
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| Truman|

* 1946
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Eisenhower|

* 1953
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Kennedy|

* 1961
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L. Johnson|

* 1964 (War on poverty)
* 1965

* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969

Nixon|

* 1970
* 1971
* 1972†

* 1973*
* 1974†

Ford|

* 1975
* 1976
* 1977

Carter|

* 1978†
* 1979†
* 1980†
* 1981

Reagan|

* 1981‡
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984

* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988

G. H. W. Bush|

* 1989‡
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992

Clinton|

* 1993‡
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996

* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000

G. W. Bush|

* 2001‡
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004

* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008

Obama|

* 2009‡
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012

* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016

Trump (1)|

* 2017‡
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020

Biden|

* 2021‡
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Trump (2)|

* 2025‡

* Legend: Address to Joint Session
* Written message
* Written message with national radio address
* Split into multiple parts
* † Included a detailed written supplement
* ‡ Not officially a "State of the Union"
Presidents William Henry Harrison (1841) and James Garfield (1881) died in office before delivering a State of the Union

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