WASHINGTON — Reaction yesterday from Hawai'i's congressional delegation to the president's speech:

On Bush's call for more patience for U.S. involvement in Iraq.

Sen. Dan Akaka: "It is time to put the future of Iraq in the hands of the Iraqi people and the elected leaders. We cannot continue indefinitely to squander our nation's resources and lives of soldiers."

Rep. Neil Abercrombie: "Patience for what? He's saying that we're using U.S. soldiers as neighborhood watches. It's like the Guardian Angels. What happens when they disappear? What is the object?"

On Bush's call for Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act.

Rep. Mazie Hirono: "I will not be able to support reauthorizing No Child Left Behind if we continue to emphasize tests and we're not looking at other factors and making the whole system much more supportive of true student learning."

Abercrombie: "Did you hear anything about money in there for No Child Left Behind? How are you going to get started if you don't have the money for it?"

On Bush's call for Congress to reauthorize intelligence programs to intercept communications by suspected terrorists.

Akaka: "President Bush's demand for unlimited spying with no accountability is absolutely unacceptable and an invitation for abuse. I remain strongly committed to giving our intelligence professionals the tools they need to make America more secure while protecting the privacy and civil liberties of Americans."

Abercrombie: "If people without warrants can search for anything they want to use against you — I mean, do you trust the FBI and the government to have complete access to your most private existence on the grounds they will never do anything to you? They will only do this to crooks and terrorists?"

On Bush's call for Congress to enact better healthcare for military veterans.

Akaka: "President Bush has spent billions on these wars while underfunding the Veterans Affairs (Department). This is morally unacceptable. Caring for our veterans must be considered a cost of waging war."

On Bush's vow to veto spending bills that did not cut earmark spending in half.

Akaka: "Earmarks help ensure that the needs of Hawai'i and every other state are addressed. Congress must ensure the administration's effort to address earmarks is not a cover for redirecting money away from the real needs of our constituents to this administration's wasteful spending priorities."

Hirono: "He (Bush) didn't happen to be talking about earmark reform while the Republicans were in control of Congress. Democrats have made tremendous progress (on cutting the number of earmarks), and if we can work with the president in doing more, I would be very supportive of that."

Reach Dennis Camire at dcamire@gns.gannett.com.