State of the Union: RI's Delegation Reacts
Dan McGowan, GoLocalProv News Editor
State of the Union: RI's Delegation Reacts
In the speech, which lasted longer than an hour, Obama called for the wealthy to pay more in taxes, more job creation and highlighted the need to make college accessible to all Americans in the coming years.
GoLocalProv asked each member of Rhode Island’s Congressional Delegation to break down the address.
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“Tonight, President Obama outlined a plan to move America forward, improve the economy, and revitalize the middle-class. He proposed substantial initiatives to help U.S. manufacturers hire new workers and accelerate economic growth.
“Throughout our nation’s history, the American people and businesses have proven that if given a chance to compete they will succeed. Making college less expensive and investing in job training programs will give more Americans an opportunity to build a better future and create a stronger workforce.
“This summer I voted for a law that cuts $2.2 trillion from the budget to control the deficit, yet we still have to make smart investments to bring back our economy. When it comes to a national energy policy, our country cannot afford to stand still. The President made a compelling argument for more clean energy incentives to increase American competitiveness, help consumers save on their energy bills, and reduce pollution.
“The middle-class has felt the brunt of the economic downturn while big corporations take advantage of loopholes and offshore tax havens. We must restore fairness to the tax code if we want to start restoring the middle-class. And I hope we can get strong, bipartisan support to provide tax relief for working families. Continuing the payroll tax cut for a full year will help folks keep more of their hard earned paychecks and allow businesses plan for the future. We also need to preserve unemployment insurance for those who have been laid off through no fault of their own.
“More needs to be done to spur a housing recovery. Until there is a greater focus on getting housing right, we won’t be able to anchor a sustainable economic recovery that reaches middle-class families. The President knows I believe there is more for his Administration to do when it comes to proactive housing recovery solutions, such as converting vacant foreclosed homes into affordable, energy-efficient rental units. While I was pleased to hear him touch on some of these issues, families with an underwater mortgage need far more concrete steps.
“The President laid out an ambitious agenda and Congress needs to do its part to meet these challenges and help solve tough problems. Where the speech ends is where the real hard work begins.”
“President Obama put forward a strong vision for our nation’s long-term stability focusing on a renewed commitment to American manufacturing, education, and economic fairness. Manufacturing has long been a central part of our Rhode Island economy, but I’ve heard from many local manufacturers who are struggling to keep up with global competition. The President made clear that we need to stop providing incentives for businesses to send jobs overseas, and start supporting jobs here in America – and I couldn’t agree more.
“The President also spoke about the need to restore economic fairness to our current system. We need to put an end to the loopholes and special deals that allow millionaires and billionaires to pay a lower tax rate than middle class Rhode Islanders, and I look forward to working with President Obama in the coming weeks to advance legislation to accomplish that goal.
“Finally, at a time when other nations are doubling down on their commitment to education, I was glad to hear President Obama talk about the need to give our students the education necessary to compete in the global economy. My guest this evening, Travis Escobar, is an example of how investments like Pell Grants can help our children achieve their dreams, and it’s important that we continue to support those goals.”
Congressman James Langevin: 2012 Can’t Only be About Elections
“Tonight President Obama laid out the next steps for our economic recovery and I support his approach. The President recognizes that we can’t restore the American Dream of fair opportunities for everyone unless we rebuild the middle class and ensure that if you work hard and play by the rules you will be able to provide for yourself and your loved ones.
“I’m especially encouraged that the President has put special emphasis on closing the skills gap, which has been a drag on job creation, particularly in Rhode Island. In meeting with businesses in my District, I have been frustrated to hear repeatedly that they either are or could be hiring, but they can’t find workers who have been trained in the right areas. We simply are not preparing a workforce in our state that meets the needs of expanding fields, like IT, engineering and cybersecurity.
“Fostering collaboration between businesses and educators and increasing opportunities to acquire these skills must be a top priority, and this should be something all political parties can agree on. I look forward to being an advocate for the President’s proposals in this area. There are many other efforts required to get our economy growing and creating high quality jobs, but no matter how many great ideas we have, our businesses won’t be able to generate the jobs they are capable of creating unless they have the right talent to draw from.
“Despite the conventional wisdom about this being an election year, we can’t spend the next 12 months allowing politics and more partisan bickering to get in the way of progress. We must show real leadership and work together on the issues that matter most to our constituents.”
"Tonight, President Obama outlined a plan to rebuild our economy with proposals focused on manufacturing, innovation, investments in our infrastructure, and workforce training - proposals similar to the ones that I have been working hard to advance over the past year."
"If the House Republican leadership is serious about working together and with the President to put America back to work, they should immediately consider measures like my Offshoring Prevention Act, that would end tax breaks for companies that shift jobs overseas. In addition, we should work together to strengthen American manufacturers by passing legislation included in the Make it in America agenda, such as my Make it in America Block Grant Program Act. I look forward to continuing to fight for commonsense proposals like these that will benefit hardworking Rhode Island families."
"Rhode Islanders want Congress to move beyond ideological differences to make get things done for our country. After so much unnecessary conflict last year, let's put aside partisanship and send the President bills like these that will advance not just the interests of Democrats or Republicans, but of every American family. Regardless of our political party, we should all work to put our country back on the right track."
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