U.S. Rep Gregory W. Meeks Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address
U.S. Rep Gregory W. Meeks Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Gregory Meeks released the following statement on the President’s State of the Union Address this evening:
“I fully support the priorities outlined by President Obama during his State of the Union address. Congress must work with the President to continue to grow our economy, help Americans find better paying jobs, and ensure the security of our country for generations to come.
“While the economy has improved over the last year, we must not rest on our laurels. Advancing the President’s economic agenda, which includes protecting the Affordable Care Act, increasing investment in our infrastructure, helping first time and homebuyers, decreasing our trade deficits, and the cost of community college must be the priority of the 114th Congress. We need to do more to make quality education opportunities, quality employment opportunities, and quality health care available to all Americans.
“In order for our economy to stay one step ahead of our competitors, Congress also must act increase access to foreign export markets and invest in programs to help the next generation of Americans gain the skills, know-how, and wherewithal, to compete with any workers from any country on the globe.
“Republicans in Congress have a tremendous opportunity to work with the President and Democrats to address immigration, tax reform, and income inequality in a manner that brings our country together rather than splitting it apart. The focus of the 114th Congress must be to promote a middleclass economic agenda that, lowers tax rates, closes wasteful tax loopholes, improves educational opportunities, and increases funding to modernize infrastructure, like John F. Kennedy and La Guardia Airports. The people of New York’s 5th District and America deserve 21st century jobs and one of the best ways to get those jobs is to build a 21st Century infrastructure.
“Lastly, I stand with the President and his efforts to protect Americans from domestic and international terrorism. The President has ended combat operations in Afghanistan and has shifted the focus of our defense to stopping emerging threats like ISIS, Boko Haram, and other militant groups that would defile the religious beliefs of billions in order to advance their despotic agenda.
“Over the next year, I will be working with the President, and my Democrat and Republican colleagues to build solutions to the most pressing challenges we face, strengthen our economy, and ensure that the American Dream is not a promise, but a reality.”