Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) made the following statement in reaction to President Obama's State of the Union address this evening.
"In tonight's address to Congress and the American people, President Obama has once again failed to hear the pleas of our citizens that their top priorities are job creation and reducing the crushing debt that the Democrats have run up over the past four years. Instead of heeding these pleas, the President called for "targeted investments,' a veiled term for more stimulus spending. After $862 billion in one stimulus bill alone, Americans were, and are still asking, "where are the jobs?'
Even though the President called for new spending programs for job growth, Congress and our nation cannot afford one more cent of debt and deficit spending. I, along with my House Republican colleagues, will not entertain any form of new spending if it is not offset with substantial cuts to programs that are already in place that are not having a positive effect on job growth and creation.
House Republicans, having a majority in the House for less than one month, have already passed legislation that will save over 1 million jobs and bring job growth and creation to our country- specifically with our vote to repeal the jobs-destroying, government takeover of our nation's health care system. We also need to aid businesses by lowering taxes and reducing regulations so that they can create jobs in the private sector.
The President's suggestion for a federal spending freeze is certainly a step in the right direction as our nation faces record debt and deficit levels, but once again this idea is two years too late as federal spending has increased over twenty two percent since he took office. Over the past two years House Republicans have repeatedly called for spending levels to be frozen at pre-bailout, pre-stimulus Fiscal Year 2008 figures, and we passed a bill on the House floor earlier today that will do just that. It is my hope that the Senate will pass this legislation and the President will sign it into law as soon as possible.
With an economy still on the ropes, the President must start working with Republicans to get our nation moving in the right direction."