Hoyer Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Addr

[admin]

Hoyer Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement tonight after President Obama delivered his State of the Union address:

“In his State of the Union address, President Obama laid out a bold plan to invest in manufacturing and create well paying jobs. His focus on the power of our manufacturing sector to drive our recovery forward mirrors what House Democrats have been proposing for some time in our Make It In America plan – that a strong national commitment to bolstering our manufacturing sector aids the economy as a whole. He is also right that we need to invest in a strong education system, clean energy innovation, and infrastructure improvements to attract the manufacturing jobs that will sustain our growth.

“The President also made it clear tonight that Congress must act to prevent the dangerous and unacceptable sequester set to take effect on March 1, which would seriously impair our ability to invest in creating jobs, grow our middle class, and ensure the readiness of our armed forces. We must bring down deficits and replace the sequester with a big and balanced solution that does not place the burden primarily on the middle class, seniors, and the most vulnerable in our society.

“We have already seen strong leadership from this Administration in advancing thoughtful solutions to an array of challenges, from promoting efforts to keep our children safe from gun violence to taking a stand against those who would erect barriers to voting. His announcement this evening that 34,000 troops will be returning from Afghanistan within the year demonstrates his commitment to the promise he made to the American people that we will end this war by transferring responsibility for security to the Afghans and bringing our troops home at last. And by pursuing comprehensive immigration reform, the President is making clear that our country is still a beacon for all who seek a better future and want to participate in the great enterprise of our democracy.

“Only by setting aside our differences and accepting that we share a common future can we create the opportunities our people deserve and make our union as strong as we know it ought to be. I hope Republicans will work with us to achieve that goal in the weeks and months ahead.”

Visit http://www.democraticwhip.gov/ for more press, floor and member resources.