DELAURO RESPONSE TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Ranking Member on the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement today in response to President Obama's State of the Union address:

"I applaud President Obama's address tonight and his focus on the most important issues facing our country today: creating jobs and rebuilding our middle class to get our economy right. He understands the enormous challenges facing America's middle class today, and as he says, this is a "make or break moment" with the basic tenets of the American dream at stake.

"For generations, this country has been a place where if you worked hard enough and played by the rules, you could build a successful life for yourself and your family. But today, millions of Americans are without jobs through no fault of their own and struggling to survive. We must take action, and through smart, targeted investments in job training and education initiatives to create a 21st century workplace, coupled with a focus on strengthening our manufacturing base and improving our infrastructure, including by making our businesses more energy efficient, we can work to rebuild our economy's foundations and provide economic security for middle class families over the long term.

"I believe that the American values he spoke about, of fairness, hard work and opportunity, are critical to our success. At a time of high unemployment and a growing income inequality, many Americans are frustrated and have lost faith in these values. We must act, and I applaud President Obama's clear vision of how to rebuild our middle class, strengthen our economy and restore these intrinsic values. I look forward to working with him and my colleagues to help make this vision a reality."