Bush slams Dems’ agenda, issues housing veto threat

President Bush on Wednesday, following a meeting with House Republican leaders, threatened to veto housing legislation and strongly criticized the Democrats’ handling of several key issues, including national security and how to deal with high gas prices.

{mospagebreak}“No doubt about it, we’re deeply concerned about the high price of gasoline, which means that the United States Congress should not pass legislation that makes it harder to increase the supply of crude oil, as well as increase the supply of gasoline,” Bush said. He called on Congress to pass legislation that would allow domestic oil exploration and the construction of new refineries.

The president also blasted the decision of House Democrats not to allow a vote on the Senate-passed measure that would modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

“The fact that the Democrat leadership refuses to let this vote come to the floor is bad for our national security,” Bush said.

In addition, the president characterized House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) decision to delay a vote on the Colombia free trade agreement as “bad national security policy.”

Finally, Bush stated that he would veto a housing bill that Democrats are moving through the House.