Statements on the State of the Union
The following statements were issued Tuesday night following President Obama's State of the Union address:
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement in reaction to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.
“Tonight we heard the President lay out a plan for an American economy that values hard work, promotes fairness and rewards responsibility. He spoke about an economy based on American energy and manufacturing and built by the highest skilled workers in the world.”
“I support that plan and the President’s vision for an America that helps those who are suffering, emboldens those who are working hard and playing by the rules and levels the playing field for everyone – not just the privileged few.”
U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Winfield
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) tonight released the following response to President Obama’s State of the Union address.
“I had high hopes for the President’s speech tonight – that he would put the country and the American people ahead of his own reelection and his liberal base; but unfortunately his priority tonight was divisive rhetoric, rather than working across the aisle for a better America,” said Hultgren. “Moreover, the President once again decided to chase straw men. The efforts of the House Republicans are not, as he suggests, acts of obstruction, but rather we are remaining true to the principles of smaller government, less spending, and lower taxes, which are fundamentally incompatible with the taxing, spending, borrowing, and government-growing policies of his administration.
“It is also deeply disingenuous for the President to claim that he supports American energy, just days after he rejected a pipeline that would have immediately created at least 20,000 good-paying jobs for hard-working Americans, and had the support of groups across the ideological spectrum. Like this speech, the President’s decision on the Keystone XL pipeline put his liberal base and his reelection efforts before the interests of the American people.
“In addition, I was astounded to hear the President imply that Congress has attacked our nation’s investment in basic scientific research. Nothing could be further from the truth – I, along with many of my colleagues, have fought for robust funding for basic scientific research and high-energy physics. In contrast, it is the President and his Administration that have chosen to emphasize politically-motivated research and government boondoggles, such as the loan guarantees to Solyndra; the money wasted on that green crusade could have instead funded Fermilab’s Tevatron for the next thousand years.
“I am also disappointed by what the President did not say. After 1,000 days of outrageous inaction, I had hoped that he would call on the Senate to do their duty and pass a budget. A budget is not only a statement of principles and a governing document, it also forces us to make tough choices about our priorities and what we can and cannot afford. The Senate’s refusal to pass a budget, and the President’s refusal to call them to account, once again shows his commitment to politics over governing.”
Rep. Hultgren's guest for the State of the Union address was Marine Corporal William Becker, of Sycamore. Corporal Becker served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and has recently completed his four year enlistment in the Marine Corps.
U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Egan
WASHINGTON – Congressman Don Manzullo (R-Egan) tonight issued the following statement responding to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:
“If the President is serious about wanting to help our employers put Americans back to work, he must stop talking about the two things that will keep Americans on the unemployment lines and extend our difficult times – tax increases and excessive government regulations. Employers are not going to create jobs when they could face huge tax increases and unnecessary regulatory burdens in the near future. We need to reduce the cost of doing business in this country and help make our employers more competitive so they can expand and create jobs. My American Jobs Agenda offers solutions that would put our great nation back on the path to prosperity.
“The President also needs to get serious about cutting wasteful Washington spending and shrinking the size of government so we can strengthen our economy and give our employers the confidence they need to invest in their businesses. Today marks the 1,000th day the Senate has gone without passing a budget. That’s unacceptable. I strongly encourage the President and Senate Democratic leaders to take a look at a budget I supported last year – the Republican Study Committee budget – that would have cut $9.1 trillion over the next 10 years while strengthening Social Security, saving Medicare, reforming the tax code, and balancing the budget in 9 years. It’s time for Washington to start living within its means and end the massive borrowing from China and other countries that is saddling future generations of Americans with massive debt.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Manteno
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), tonight issued the following remarks in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address:
“Tonight, folks around the country turned their focus to Washington and looked to the Leader of the Free World for direction. However, rather than laying out a blueprint for our nation’s future, President Obama took advantage of an opportunity to advance his own re-election agenda. The president offered more of his same failed policies - higher taxes, more spending and onerous regulations; which has lead to record-high unemployment rates, mounting debt and an overreaching government.
“These policies have hurt our economy and it’s time to hold Washington accountable for its actions.
“Under the Obama Administration, our national debt has increased by $4.6 trillion – which means every man, woman and child’s share has increased by nearly $14,000 since Obama took office.
“In his 2011 State of the Union speech, President Obama warned that ‘at stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country, or somewhere else.’ This is a fear I hear nearly every day in Illinois. That’s why I was deeply disappointed to see the President's Administration block the Keystone XL Pipeline - particularly after his own jobs council yesterday called for an 'all-in approach' to energy policy that incorporates expanded oil and gas drilling in addition to advancing energy projects such as pipelines.
“This pipeline would directly create 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs and 118,000 total jobs. In addition, we would see 830,000 barrels of safe and secure oil each day from our friends to the North, which means we will need less oil from countries we can no longer rely on and are not friendly to the interests of the United States.
“Unfortunately, like tonight’s State of the Union address, the Keystone pipeline is a missed opportunity and is yet another major example of the President placing politics before the people. The fact is that someone will benefit from the oil out of Alberta. If it’s not the United States, it will be China - and it will be American businesses and consumers who will suffer the consequences from our inaction.
“We can’t continue to follow the same failed agenda that has driven job creators further into doubt and uncertainty. The road to refueling our economy and creating jobs means tackling our debt head on, simplifying the tax code, reducing onerous regulations, and increasing domestic energy production, making our nation more energy secure, which would help lower costs at the pump and create jobs here at home.
“In just one year, the new House Republicans have fought to put the brakes on the Obama Administration’s spending spree. We’ve changed the conversation from how much to spend to how much to cut.
“We've also made clear to the president that it is high time that we cut up the government's credit cards and draw a hard line to stop the government from overspending, which is hampering our economy's ability to grow and thrive. We must get the government to stop spending more money than we take in and focus our efforts toward growing the private sector, where jobs are created.”
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D)
CHICAGO – January 24, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today released a statement regarding President Barack Obama’s fourth State of the Union Address.
“We in Illinois applaud President Obama for the vision he laid out in tonight’s State of the Union. The President put forth a blueprint for a growing economy that gives all Americans equal access to the success through hard work that has always made this nation great. We agree with the President that we can’t wait – we need to keep pushing to restore our economy and the American middle class.
“In Illinois, we are focused on the same issues that the President laid out tonight: creating manufacturing jobs and training our workforce for the 21st century; making education more accessible; modernizing our roads and bridges; and prioritizing housing for our families.
“And as the President said, an America built to last calls for responsibility from each of us and fairness for all. We commend the President on his vision, and look forward to working together as a nation to restore our economy and create opportunities for all Americans.”
Illinois Lt. Gov. Shelia Simon (D)
CARBONDALE - January 24, 2011. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon pledged to work with President Obama and Illinois schools to send more students into the workforce with college credentials that qualify them for in-demand jobs.
"President Obama's blueprint for our economy is built on a strong, skilled American workforce," Simon said. "A growing number of jobs require employees to hold more than a high school education, but not necessarily a bachelor's degree. Illinois community colleges are poised to help more students earn career certificates and associate degrees that translate to good-paying jobs. I will work with the colleges, state leaders, and President Obama to ensure that we offer clear paths to employment. If our students work hard in school, we want them to find a job here in Illinois that will enable them to raise a family, own a home, and save for retirement. Our focus on college completion will help create an America that's built to last."
