U.S. Rep Gregory W. Meeks Reaction to President Obama’s Final State of the Union Address

U.S. Rep Gregory W. Meeks Reaction to President Obama’s Final State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Gregory W. Meeks released the following statement after President Obama’s final State of the Union address:

"All Americans can draw inspiration from President Obama’s final State of the Union Speech. Tonight, President Obama reminded us that America is strong, and will remain strong if we embrace change and refuse to be led by fear.

"President Obama also reminded us that we live in times of great advancements, and great peril, but America is great enough to meet all present and future challenges. I was proud to hear our President use this opportunity to summon the ties that bind us rather than spur the points that divide us. As in previous years, tonight, I stand in full agreement with the President’s call on Congress to take sensible measures to end gun violence, to create a pathway for environmental sustainability, to support gender equality in the workplace, and bring accountability to police and law enforcement agencies around the country. Congress must also end the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a law that has brought healthcare to millions of Americans and already saved countless lives.

"I was proud that he encouraged us to lean on the collective will of the American people to uphold our greatest values and our special brand of ingenuity. Our nation is an essential leader in a world where the geopolitics are rapidly changing, and the stakes are high. Our own security and that of the global community is inextricably linked to our strength here at home, and our ability to develop and sustain partnerships abroad. Our security is also critically linked to our ability to leverage diplomacy even where tensions are high and conflicts are intractable. Congress must be an asset not a barrier to this reality. I agree with President Obama that our message to the world must be that we are still the America of great promise, a nation that is stronger for its diversity, one that seeks rather than shies away from the next frontier.

"Over the past seven years, President Obama has brought us back from the brink of not only a financial crisis but a moral one. And, while he still has many days left as President of the United States, I am forever grateful for the leadership, guidance, and vision he has provided the nation and the World."

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