Ohio congressmen react to State of the Union address
Canton Rep – Congressmen for Ohio’s 16th and 18th Congressional Districts and Ohio’s two senators released the following statements in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon:
“President Obama’s speech sent a clear message: working together, we can ensure that America can continue to out-compete and out-innovate any country in the world. As the president said tonight, ‘we do big things’ in America—and nowhere is that more true than in Ohio. The president understands that we need to continue to help small businesses and manufacturers expand operations and hire new workers.
“We need to ensure that our students and workers have the skills needed to compete in a 21st -century economy. After 12 straight months of private sector job creation, our economy is starting to show signs of recovery. But with too many Ohioans still struggling, now is not the time to turn our back on investments that promote economic recovery.
“It’s critical that we continue to revitalize Ohio manufacturing. We need to ensure that we create 21st-century manufacturing jobs that allow Ohio producers to develop, commercialize, and export cutting-edge technologies. Innovation for Ohio’s economy means an environment where manufacturers and small businesses can hire new workers, expand operations, and compete with anyone through a level playing field for foreign trade and an aggressive export strategy.
“And at a time when many Ohio families are tightening their belts, I believe we must keep an eye on our country’s bottom line when it comes to federal spending. We should undertake aggressive measures to reduce the deficit while at the same time protecting the solvency of two key programs—Medicare and Social Security.
“Tonight, members of Congress ignored party labels and crossed the aisle to sit together. I was pleased tonight to sit with Ohio’s newest Senator, Rob Portman, and other members of our state’s delegation from both parties. I’m hopeful that the many calls for civility prior to tonight’s address will translate into real-world action, where Democrats and Republicans alike will dispense with the vicious finger-pointing and instead continue to carry out debates calmly and civilly. At the beginning of each new Congress, I meet with every member of the Ohio congressional delegation to discuss how we can work together to bring jobs to our state and advance Ohio’s economic recovery.
“With tonight’s speech, the president made clear that challenges remain – but he also underscored that with the right tone and focus, we can create jobs and ensure America’s competitiveness on the global stage.”
