Hagan Comments On State Of The Union

Statement

U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) tonight commented on the President's State of the Union address.

Sen. Hagan said:

"I am proud that President Obama honored a true North Carolina hero, Sgt. Kimberly Munley. She saved American lives at Fort Hood, and we, as a nation, are forever grateful for her service. Other special North Carolina guests of the President were Julia Frost, a Jacksonville college student, and Ping Fu, a North Carolina small business leader.

"Tonight, the President said we need to get serious about our national debt. I am among a group of Senators who have been pushing for a bipartisan debt commission, which I supported in the Senate this week along with 52 of my colleagues. I am pleased the President is agreeing with our position. Tonight he announced such a commission by executive order. He also proposed a three-year, discretionary spending freeze for budget items not related to national security, which I support.

"The President focused on job creation in his address. He noted a North Carolina success: Celgard, a company that produces advanced battery components, and last week announced 289 green jobs that I helped ensure are coming to North Carolina. Among our strategies to get people back to work this year, we need to invest in small businesses, giving them tax credits to hire new employees. As a member of the Small Business Committee, I will work with my colleagues to pass these credits through Congress. We need to ensure businesses have access to credit to create jobs and thrive.

"I was pleased with the President's focus on education reform, including investing in math and science and community colleges. North Carolina is home to 58 community colleges, and the system is one of the jewels of our state. We are set to renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act this year. In addition to strengthening the law to ensure our students can succeed in the 21st century, one of my goals will be to include the first bill I introduced, the Financial Literacy for Students Act. It will incorporate financial literacy into the curriculum of every student from grades six through 12 so our students have the necessary tools to manage their money when they graduate from high school. Given the current economic climate, these lessons are more important than ever to ensure the mistakes of this recession are not repeated.

"Congress and the Administration need to be focused like a laser beam on job creation this year, and I am continuing my efforts to bring jobs to communities from Murphy to Manteo."

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