DeGette Response To President Obama's State Of The Union Address

Statement

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01) tonight issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. Rep. DeGette is a Chief Deputy Whip and Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

"President Obama tonight delivered the speech of a seasoned leader with a strong vision of a better America for all our families. The President laid out a clear path to continue our economic recovery in the short-term and to build lasting economic strength for our nation. He drew on proven solutions like encouraging and rewarding the kind of innovation that creates jobs, while also advocating for the fiscal discipline that makes for a smarter government.

"In Colorado, we know first-hand the economic value of smart investments in research and science to create jobs and even build entirely new industries. That is why I know my fellow Coloradoans applaud President Obama's ideas to encourage clean energy technology development that increases our global competitiveness, while securing our environment for our children's future.

"While the most immediate challenges we face are economic in nature, the President tonight also spoke to the societal challenges that touch families all across this great nation. As a country, one of our greatest shared values is that everyone who works hard should have a chance to get ahead. That is why the President's call for common-sense immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship and keeps families together was met with bipartisan support throughout the Chamber.

"But perhaps the most moving and indeed memorable movement of President Obama's address was when he called on Congress to vote on the common-sense gun violence prevention measures introduced since the massacre at Sandy Hook. The President's passion and commitment to keeping killing machines out of the hands of disturbed individuals paid tribute to the lives of the victims of gun violence there in the Chamber with us tonight. I was proud to have joined with Rep. Ed Perlmutter to bring the loved ones of A.J. Boik, killed in the Aurora shootings last summer, to tonight's address so they could hear their President's commitment to ensure their tragic loss would not be in vain.

"Whether getting our nation's fiscal house in order or keeping our children safe from gun violence, our nation craves bipartisan solutions from their government. We deserve better than the intransigence and brinksmanship that have marked the last few years in Washington. I share President Obama's repeated call tonight to set aside partisan politics and work for the good of all Americans; and I believe it can be done."

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