Bush pledges to eliminate 140 poor-performing programs

In his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Bush pledged to trim the federal budget by reducing or eliminating more than 140 federal programs he said are not essential or are performing poorly.

Bush said non-defense spending needs to be cut, and asked Congress to approve a slimmed-down budget plan he will release next week. That budget will save $14 billion dollars and cut the deficit in half by 2009, he said.

The president did not specify which programs he wanted to cut. He repeatedly praised the work of Defense and Homeland Security agencies.

"The enemy has not lost the desire or capability to attack us," Bush said. "Fortunately, this nation has superb professionals in law enforcement, intelligence, the military and homeland security. These men and women are dedicating their lives to protecting us all, and they deserve our support and our thanks."

Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle as well as Cabinet members and other attendees responded to that assertion with one of many standing ovations.

In the speech, Bush focused attention on border security.

"Our nation needs orderly and secure borders," Bush said. "To meet this goal, we must have stronger immigration enforcement and border protection." To this end, the president backed a guest worker program that gives temporary jobs to non-citizens and which he said would reduce "smuggling and crime at the border."

Bush also pledged to expand the federal role in energy research. He proposed a 22 percent increase in clean energy research at the Energy Department, focusing on zero-emission coal power plants, solar and wind technologies and nuclear energy.

"America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world," Bush said.

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, said he looked forward to hearing specifics on the president's plan to fix security at the border.

"We're going to have to put more people there, but we're going to have to put more technology there as well," Davis said. "I don't think there's any bad news there for federal employees."

Fellow Government Reform Committee member Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said the president's speech lacked specific attention to issues of federal management.

"The president frankly didn't talk in detail about government reform," Van Hollen said, adding that he had hoped the speech would address "lobbying scandals and the system that allows corruption to flourish."

In the Democratic response to President Bush's speech, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine highlighted management issues. "Our federal government should serve the American people," he said. "But that mission is frustrated by this administration's poor choices and bad management."

"In Virginia -- and other states -- we're moving ahead by focusing on service, competent management and results," Kaine added. "It's all about bringing people together to find common-sense solutions to our common problems."