State of the Union reaction and statements

Kaine Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address tonight:

“Tonight the President laid out a practical agenda with specific ideas to continue moving our country forward by creating more opportunities for all Americans and rewarding hard work. I’m glad he was optimistic about where our nation’s economy is headed, because I am too. And I agree raising the minimum wage to $10.10 is exactly the boost our country needs next, along with other steps to restore economic security for hardworking Americans and their families and help long-term job seekers find work. I hope the President continues to challenge Congress to tackle these priorities and other issues like the debt ceiling by building on the bipartisan spirit we’ve seen with passage of a budget agreement, an appropriations package, and most recently a deal on the farm bill.

“I’m also pleased the President addressed one of my biggest priorities for 2014 – ensuring we are investing in a skilled workforce. By strengthening career and technical education, we can help Americans get the right training for the 21st century jobs that are available today.”

Wittman Statement on the State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON – Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-1) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

“President Obama seems quite content with our nation’s current state of affairs. However, most folks I hear from don’t express the same level of satisfaction. The president gave little attention to our debt and deficit, which still remain too high. I also didn’t hear enough about his plans to facilitate a robust middle class where a path to progress exists through strong career ladders, effective career and technical education, and an economy driven by private sector growth, not government programs. Above all, we must strengthen the opportunity for the middle class to succeed.

“I am relieved that the president acknowledged the challenges ‘beyond our shores.’ There is no question that our world is not getting any safer. And the role of Congress in granting authority to the president to engage ISIS is especially critical. However, the president did not mention the impending cuts to our military budget, known as the sequester, which will be absolutely devastating for our nation’s ability to defend itself. As Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, I am committed to staving off these irresponsible, unbalanced cuts and ensuring that our men and women in uniform are trained and equipped to execute their missions successfully and return home safely. We owe that to them.

“As 2015 kicks into gear, my goal in Washington is to make sure that the job gets done. Our system of government was designed as it was for a reason, and the Congress has a duty to pass responsible legislation that will in turn go to the president for his signature. I am hopeful that the president will work with Congress to achieve smart public policy that enables a robust economy full of opportunity for our citizens. We must put the country on a quick path to a balanced budget and make sure that our government is funded in a timely, long-term manner. Finally, we must ensure that our military’s ability to protect our citizens remains strong and unrivaled.”

Griffith Responds to State of the Union

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“A real trust deficit exists between President Obama and many of us in Congress. In his State of the Union address, he spoke of putting our differences aside and working together, but he made sure to include numerous veto threats and potshots at policies many of us support. For example, ‘Let’s set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline,’ President Obama said. Instead, I must ask: why not start with that ‘single oil pipeline,’ build trust by showing us your willingness to work together, and move forward with other opportunities?”

“As President Obama acknowledged himself ahead of the 2014 elections, his policies were on the ballot. And the results of last year’s election were clear. But the President’s actions since that time indicate it doesn’t matter to him what happened at the ballot box; it’s his way or the highway. The tenor of his speech continued to convey that attitude.”

“Put plainly, the President’s State of the Union address was full of veto threats, unserious proposals, and missed opportunities. I am disappointed by the tenor of his remarks, but I am not surprised.”

Goodlatte statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the statements below on several issues following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

Economy: “Politics and excuses have blocked real progress for Americans in need of jobs. Despite promise after promise from the President, our nation’s economy remains relatively unchanged – it has failed to grow strong enough to bounce back after economic setbacks or provide sustainable growth for Americans. And instead of solving the problem of a failing economy, the President continues to push his failed policies in the faces of the American people and lay blame on others for his actions. In stark contrast to the President’s approach, in the House Judiciary Committee we have already started passing bills this Congress to jumpstart the economy and cut government red tape. We look forward to continuing to pass powerful regulatory reform this Congress and providing real relief for Americans.”

Cybersecurity: “Cybersecurity is critical both to Americans’ privacy and our national security. Every day, cyber-criminals attempt to hack into computer networks in order to steal sensitive personal and financial information from American companies and our citizens. Additionally, we’ve now experienced a state-sponsored cyberattack intended to intimidate the American people and undermine our values. We need to be ever diligent and attentive to these threats. The House Judiciary Committee will continue working to ensure our laws are as robust as possible and work with other Committees on this important issue.”

Immigration Reform: “The debate last Congress showed that there is a willingness and a need to reform our nation’s immigration laws. Many of my colleagues and I are working to fix our broken immigration system, starting with enforcement first. However, President Obama’s pattern of executive overreach has added a layer of distrust to the debate. Time after time, President Obama has bypassed many opportunities to work constructively with Congress and has instead legislated from the Oval Office by executive decree. These actions are a threat to the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution and imperil individual liberty. Additionally, they have undermined the American people’s trust in the President’s willingness to enforce the laws passed by Congress. If the President is serious about immigration reform, then he needs to start enforcing our existing laws to rebuild trust with the American people and with Congress. Meanwhile Congress must pass enforcement laws that take the power away from the President to unilaterally refuse to enforce our immigration laws.”

FISA Reform: “I agree with the President that we need to reform the bulk collection program under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act so that we protect Americans’ civil liberties while ensuring that the traditional capabilities of our intelligence-gathering programs are not disturbed, and I am committed to working on this issue. Last Congress, the House passed comprehensive legislation to do just that, but the Senate failed to act. The USA PATRIOT Act is set to expire on June 1, 2015 and it is imperative that we reform these programs before then.”

Net Neutrality: “While I agree with President Obama’s call for a free and open Internet, the reality is that the President’s policies will have the opposite effect, significantly diminishing innovation on the Internet. President Obama’s so-called ‘solution’ for net neutrality is to impose decades-old regulations designed for old, monopolistic long-distance telephone lines on one of the most dynamic and competitive marketplaces in history. As confirmed by experts at our Judiciary Committee hearing last Congress, this type of regulatory approach would have disastrous results on the Internet. Instead of jumpstarting the economy and ensuring fair principles to safeguard consumers, the President’s approach would leave consumers with fewer choices and higher prices, the antithesis of net neutrality. A better way to ensure net neutrality is to turn to vigorous enforcement of our nation’s time-tested antitrust laws. These laws have consistently demonstrated their ability to prevent discriminatory and anti-competitive conduct and would be the most efficient way to achieve an open and competitive Internet.”

Abusive Patent Litigation: “I am disappointed the President failed to mention the importance of passing legislation to stop abusive patent litigation. Last Congress, the House overwhelmingly passed the Innovation Act, a bipartisan bill that takes meaningful steps to address the abusive practices that have damaged our patent system and resulted in significant economic harm to our nation. Businesses both large and small are affected by this growing problem and the enactment of the Innovation Act is central to U.S. competiveness, job creation, and our nation’s future economic security. Unfortunately, the Democratic-controlled Senate failed to act on the legislation but I am hopeful that with the new Republican-controlled Senate and the President’s support patent litigation reform legislation will be signed into law this Congress.

Goodlatte: State of the Union Lacks Real Solutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bob Goodlatte released the following statement in response to tonight’s State of the Union address:

“Here we go again. Tonight’s speech was more of the same – chock full of policies that would result in more regulations, further intrusion into the lives of the American people, and a tax plan that unfairly burdens the middle class by taxing college savings accounts. This was the agenda the American people soundly rejected in November, and pushing these failed policies once again is not the solution.

“Tonight’s speech makes it crystal clear how out of touch the President is with the needs of American families. To take a successful college savings program, one used by millions of middle-class Americans to save for their children, and find new ways to tax it out of existence speaks volumes as to the President’s priorities. The bottom line is that Americans are insecure about their own futures. Taxes on college savings only makes the problem worse and hurts everyone hoping to further their education and advance their career.

“The good news is that in just the first two weeks of the 114th Congress, the House has already passed legislation to create job opportunities, lessen the regulatory burden, and help pave the path towards a healthy economy. These are real American solutions – not new ways to grow the size of government at the expense of personal liberty and financial freedom.

“His remarks and new policy ideas tonight make it clear that President Obama’s agenda is out of touch with reality. The House has acted, and will continue to act, on policies that help middle-class Americans advance their hopes and dreams. Where we can find areas of common interest that help our constituents, I am ready to work with President Obama, but his pattern of overreach and tax hikes is not the way forward.”

Rep. Randy Forbes Facebook Status Update

“Many Americans tuned out of tonight’s speech, because they feel this President has been tuning them out for the past six years. Americans are ready to light up the economy; the President is ready to jack up tax rates. Americans are ready to secure borders; the President is ready to secure amnesty. While Americans watch threats around the world growing ever stronger, the President has allowed our military to grow ever weaker. Unfortunately the Administration and most of Washington still do not realize that too many Americans feel their country is slipping through their fingers. With a new American Congress, we now have a new opportunity to rebuild the military, recharge the economy, and reestablish the rule of law. Now it’s time to get to work.”

Robert Hurt Responds to the President’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Hurt (R-Virginia) tonight released the following statement in response to President Obama’s annual State of the Union Address:

“I appreciate President Obama’s coming to the Capitol tonight to speak to Congress and the American people about his priorities for our nation. While I welcome the ideas and proposals the President offered for improving our economy and making life easier for working families in tonight’s address, I have serious concerns with much of his approach for achieving these important goals.

“While the President discussed many important issues tonight, a harsh economic reality remains. Far too many Fifth District Virginians and Americans across the country are out of work and many more are forced to settle for working only part-time. Families continue to struggle with stagnant wages and rising health insurance premiums. Small businesses and family farms labor under the increasing burden of federal regulations which impede their ability to invest in their communities and create jobs. And our national debt totals more than a staggering $18 trillion – translating to more than $56,000 in debt for every American citizen.

“The American people sent a loud and clear message in November that they do not want the President to act on his own. They want him to work with the new Congress to advance the people’s priorities. We must work together to implement a simpler, fairer, and flatter tax code that will ensure that individuals and businesses have the certainty they need and that all Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned tax dollars. We must remain focused on implementing significant fiscal reforms to keep current programs solvent rather than spending money we do not have. We must remove the federal government as a barrier to job creation rather than imposing even more burdensome regulations on struggling small businesses. We must provide even greater opportunities for future generations to prosper.

“We in the House of Representatives will continue to advance bipartisan solutions, but we cannot implement real solutions to the challenges our great nation faces alone. It is my hope that the President will work with us, rather than around us, and join us in promoting policies to build a stronger America for our children and grandchildren. I look forward to finding common ground on these important issues as we work to encourage success for all Americans so that they can realize the American dream for themselves and future generations.”

Statement of Sen. Warner on 2015 State of the Union

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement tonight in response to the President’s State of the Union address:

“The President laid out an aggressive agenda tonight to expand economic opportunity and security for the middle class. We’ll learn more of the details when he submits his budget, and I agree we should be able to find common ground on issues such as infrastructure investment, comprehensive tax reform, boosting college affordability and making student debt more manageable.

These are policies and programs which traditionally have enjoyed bipartisan support. I remain committed to working across the aisle to create that fair shot which every Virginian deserves.”

Brat takes Obama to task for being a pretend populist, harming the economy and wages

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 20, 2015) – Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.) issued the following response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight:

“President Obama used the State of the Union tonight to play the populist card, which he’s trying to define as giving away free stuff. But as an economist, I can tell you his giveaways aren’t free. He’s trying to hide the true cost from the American people, just like he did with Obamacare. We all pay for these programs in the end through higher taxes, more government spending, and a weaker economy.

“But it’s hard for him to call himself a populist when he’s not actually looking to empower the American people, but is instead looking to increase the concentration of power in government. True populism is what conservatives are trying to do: Break up the accumulation of power in Washington and give it back to the American people.

“The president has also called for more taxes to feed Washington’s insatiable spending appetite. Hardworking Americans pay enough in taxes.

“Increasing taxes on anyone – whether the wealthy or the middle class – only slows the economy down. Higher taxes discourage people from saving, investing, and buying things. That means businesses can’t grow, can’t create more jobs, and can’t increase their workers’ wages. That hurts everyone. It’s Economics 101.

“There’s also a fundamental difference in how the president and most Republicans feel about business – whether business is a force for good or something that needs to be continually punished. While I speak out against cronyism between some big businesses and government, I believe businesses are generally a force for good – successful businesses grow our economy, provide incomes for our families, and do good works in our communities. A true populist understands that most people need to work to provide for their families and that most of them work in the very businesses the president seeks to punish.

“If we want to turn our economy around and create more jobs and higher wages for all Americans, history shows that we should be cutting taxes and encouraging business growth rather than turning more money over to government, which continues to spend uncontrollably and put us further into debt. It’s also critically important that we simplify and make our tax code fairer, treating all taxpayers equally rather than having a tax code that allows politicians to pit them against one another.”

Chairman Mullins: Obama State of the Union a Recipe for Disaster

“We’ve heard all of these proposals before in one fashion or another, but there’s something about hearing them after they’ve been utterly rejected by voters that makes it worse.”

“Higher taxes, more regulation, and bigger government were soundly rejected by the voters in November. Yet President Obama continues to put forward the same policies, time and time again. If he were intentionally trying to stifle economic growth, he’d be hard pressed to do better than this platform.”

“Maybe President Obama is following the Terry McAuliffe, Virginia Democrat playbook and is trying to excite liberal voters in an effort to get them to the polls. But I’m fairly certain the truth is much worse: he just doesn’t care what voters think anymore.”

Speaker Howell Responds to President Obama’s State of the Union Address

Richmond, VA – Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) responded Tuesday to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address.

“The President tonight sadly took a familiar approach, threatening to bypass the legislative branch rather than seeking areas of common ground with them,” said Speaker Howell. “President Obama tonight outlined a political agenda for his liberal base, rather than a governing agenda that can win bipartisan support. The challenges our country faces will not be solved by President Obama’s new taxes on hardworking families. House Republicans in Richmond will continue to show that there is a better way than the partisan gridlock in Washington. The Virginia way. We will work across the aisle to fight to make college more affordable, to give every child a quality education and to make Virginia an even better place to start or grow a business.”

Rigell Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-02) released the following statement after tonight’s State of the Union address:

“Last year’s election made clear that Americans want a government that operates within the constitutional boundaries laid out by our Founders. Tonight, in his sixth State of the Union Address – and his first to a Republican-controlled Congress – the President made clear that he will continue to test the constitutional limits of his authority whenever he finds that Congress does not agree with his agenda.

“Despite having served six years in office, President Obama has failed to address our nation’s serious fiscal challenges while weakening the separation of powers framed by our Constitution – which is so essential to good governance. This hurts our country.

“Finding and advancing sound fiscal solutions that represent common ground has never been easy, yet our nation’s biggest challenges require just that for our nation to prosper. Republicans and Democrats must elevate above all else what is best for our country. In his final years in office, I am hopeful the President will choose to work with Congress.”

NFIB Responds to POTUS on Taxes
Washington, DC (January 20, 2015) – Dan Danner, President and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the country’s leading advocate for small business owners, this evening issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

“Most small business owners aren’t wealthy. Neither are they helped in the smallest way by higher taxes on anyone else. The President’s tax agenda is fair in the way that hurricanes are fair. They hurt everyone. His goal is apparently to ensure that the tax code hurts everyone. A much better idea, and just as fair, would be to bring small business taxes into line with the biggest corporations and the richest individuals. The goal should be to hurt fewer Americans, not more.

“There are 6 million small employers in America. They create most of the jobs and they pay most of the taxes. And most of them pay the income tax, not the corporate tax. Making them more competitive necessarily means cutting their tax rates. Nothing in what the President outlined this evening offers to them any real relief. Some of what he proposed would be actually harmful.

“This was a big moment for the country and a big opportunity and regrettably he answered with small ideas and even smaller motivations.”

Comstock: ‘We Need Tax Relief For Hard Working Families’

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (R-VA) issued the following statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

“Americans deserve a results-oriented government that is focused on them and builds a healthy economy,” said Congresswoman Comstock. “I am focused on common sense legislation that moves our economy forward. President Obama’s proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in tax increases was not what hard working taxpayers wanted to hear tonight. We need tax relief for hard working families and small businesses, not more tax increases that will harm our ability to grow a healthy economy.”

Chairman Thornberry Highlights Critical National Security Challenges ahead of SOTU

WASHINGTON- Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee made the following statement prior to the President’s State of the Union address.

“Tonight the President will inform Congress on the state of our union. It is my hope that he speaks to an area of concern for many Americans, one reflected in November’s election. Our national security, and the relative peace we earned after the Cold War, is in danger.

“Consider that hours before the President’s remarks, the State Department issued a travel advisory for Libya and we learned of a potential terrorist coup in Yemen. It’s been a busy day for the Obama Doctrine. Reality has overtaken the wishful thinking on Pennsylvania Avenue.

“President Obama has not adequately addressed our national security needs. He told us terrorism was on the run. He pulled back America’s presence in places like Iraq and restricted presence in Yemen. That’s allowed much greater dangers to be pulled into that void.

“Without US leadership, there is a vacuum that becomes a breeding ground for groups like ISIL and al Qaeda. In this case, Iran has also taken advantage of the vacuum supporting their proxies in the region and are taking advantage of the United States’ failed policies in Yemen and the Middle East.

“The President’s premature withdrawal from Iraq help set the stage for ISIL. His restricted policy in Yemen set the stage for a terrorist surge. We’re hampered in our response to one crisis because we’re spending resources on another crisis. Both were preventable.

“The failure of our strategy in places like Yemen, Iraq, and Syria is what gives members who are concerned about the wide release of Guantanamo Bay detainees pause. I am encouraged that Members like Jackie Walorski are working with Senator Ayotte to take another look at transfer restrictions.

“I hope the President now does what is necessary to protect America and her interests. He has a great opportunity to speak to that this evening.”