The 2006 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 31, 2006, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 109th United States Congress. It was Bush's fifth State of the Union Address and his sixth speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Dennis Hastert, accompanied by Dick Cheney, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate. The address outlined the President's legislative proposals for the upcoming year and referenced the budget deficit, health care reform, the War on Terror, the Occupation of Iraq, Iran's nuclear program, the rising price of gasoline and the transfer to independent sources of alternative energy, illegal immigration, Hurricane Katrina and the federal response to natural disasters, Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak, the Abramoff scandal and corruption within the government, the NSA spying controversy, the successful nomination of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, and the Administration's proposed ban on same-sex marriage. Newly elected Governor of Virginia Tim Kaine gave the Democratic response in English and Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa did so in Spanish. Introduction President Bush began his State of the Union Address for the year by reflecting on the memory of Coretta Scott King, who died earlier that day, and Martin Luther King Jr., "the husband who was taken so long ago". Bush then paralleled "moments of national mourning," an indirect reference to the September 11, 2001 attacks with "national achievement." When discussing the American political system, Bush used anaphora, repeating "two" at the beginning of each clause, "two parties, two chambers, and two elected branches." Bush shifted his tense from the past to the future while emphasizing the need for civility and bipartisanship among legislators during debate. Echoing his 2005 State of the Union address, he stated "Tonight the state of our Union is strong – and together we will make it stronger." Terrorism and isolationism He again used anaphora by repeating "We will choose," paralleling "pursuing the enemies of freedom," applicable to both the Axis of Evil and terrorists in general, with "Retreating "from our duties in the hope of an easier life," a direct attack on Criticism of the Iraq War, which particularly calls for withdrawal. He paralleled choosing "to build our prosperity by