Bush Says Congress Blocking Progress

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Americans are “understandably anxious” about issues affecting their pocketbook, President Bush said Tuesday.

President Bush calls on Congress to take action.

Bush said people are looking to leaders in Congress to take action, but “all they are getting is delay.”

Speaking from the Rose Garden, Bush blasted Congress for not doing enough to address Americans’ financial fears.

“I repeatedly submitted proposal to help address the problems. Time after time, Congress chose to block them,” he said.

Bush called on Congress to send him sensible and effective bills to keep the country moving forward before taking questions from reporters.

Asked if he was premature in saying the economy is not in a recession, Bush said “the average person doesn’t really care what we call it.”

“The average person wants to know whether or not we know that they’re paying higher gasoline prices and they’re worried about staying in their homes,” he said.

Bush asked Congress to focus on four areas: energy, food prices, mortgage payments and student loans. The president urged Congress to pass legislation that would lead to more affordable and reliable energy at home.

He also called for a fiscally responsible bill that would reform farm programs without putting new burdens on consumers.

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He blasted Congress for “considering a massive, bloated farm bill that would do little to solve the problem.”

“America’s farm economy is thriving. The value of farmland is skyrocketing. And this is the right time to reform our nation’s farm policies by reducing unnecessary subsidies,” he said.

In his eight-minute opening remarks, Bush urged Congress to pass specific legislation that will help more families stay in their homes and give the federal government more authority to purchase federal student loans. E-mail to a friend

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Tags: congress, bush, economy, recession, energy, food prices, mortgage payments, bloated farm bill, subsidies