DeLauro Statement on the State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON, DC (January 12, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) released the following statement tonight in reaction to President Obama’s final State of the Union address.
“Tonight President Obama presented a vision of opportunity for the future of our country. Speaking about the big ideas that capture the promise of the American Dream, the President recognized just how far we have come and where we can go. President Obama is right: food stamp recipients didn’t cause the economic crisis, big banks and those want to write the rules of government did. President Obama moved our country forward from the darkest days of the recession when he took office. And thanks to the President, American families now have more opportunity and economic security than when he took office. But we must continue to do better as there are still far too many working families that cannot get ahead.
“The President noted tonight that we should do more to set the economic agenda and support working families. We can start by continuing to implement the Affordable Care Act, which is providing lifesaving healthcare for millions of Americans. We should raise the minimum wage and give employees the raise they deserve. We should enact the FAMILY Act and provide hard working Americans with paid family and medical leave. We should make college more affordable and ensure that all of our students have access to higher education. We should pass campaign finance reform to make sure that every American voice counts in elections. And Congress must pass commonsense gun safety legislation to help keep our communities safe from tragic, but preventable gun violence.
“As the President said, we should also have a greater role on the world’s stage using every element of our national power, not just our military. We should start by immediately ending our embargo with Cuba and starting a new chapter with a neighbor in our own hemisphere. We should also work to continue our dialogue with Iran and work to build a stable and secure Middle East. We cannot address the threats raised by groups like ISIL without building relationships with other nations around the world.
“And while the President recognized how we have made great strides in the future of our country, there is a major threat looming that stands to erase all progress. I disagree that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will help American workers. It is too much like the failed agreements of the past that have cost us jobs and depressed our wages. The Administration has not enforced the trade agreements of the past, and this new agreement would only add to the problem.
“The facts are simple: the Trans-Pacific Partnership is too dangerous for us simply to stand aside and let it pass. After saving the American auto industry, growing the economy and bringing us back from the brink of collapse, fighting for equality, and signing one of the most sweeping environmental agreements in history, this trade agreement threatens to undo our progress. Jobs will be shipped overseas, wages will decline, and America will engage in trade with countries that do not meet our rigorous standards of human rights and environmental protection. That is not moving us forward in the direction we need to go – the direction outlined by the President tonight.”
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