Congresswoman Corrine Brown Comments on President Obama's State of the Union Address

Press Release

Congresswoman Corrine Brown made the following statement regarding President Obama's 2015 State of the Union address:

"I commend President Obama for his efforts to take our nation forward and to tackle the issue of growing income inequality head on.

As the President outlined this evening, under his leadership our nation's economy continues on the road to recovery. Unemployment has dropped considerably, and has dipped to 5.6%. In addition, gas prices have fallen dramatically, leaving more money each month in the pockets of American citizens, stock markets are up, and the economy as a whole grew by 5% in the third quarter of last year alone. And yet, even with all the positive economic indicators, millions of Americans are being left out of this solid economic recovery. To combat this, President Obama has outlined tonight concrete measures we need to take to "make sure that every American feels like they are part of our nation's comeback,' not just those in the top tax bracket.

I stand in strong support of the President's proposals outlined this evening. A centerpiece of President Obama's plan includes changing the tax code to boost middle class incomes by raising $320 billion in new revenue over 10 years by increasing taxes and fees for wealthy Americans and big financial institutions, and reinvesting this money in the form of a tax credit for struggling middle income families.

Moreover, President Obama's proposal to make community college free of charge will open educational doors to millions of Americans. Certainly, communitycolleges are a key economic driver for families that aspire to join the middle class, and the President's America's College Promise proposal will raise new ladders of opportunity for nearly nine million students by improving graduation rates, investing in job training and reducing the burden of tuition that weighs on the futures of so many Americans seeking to advance their education, and in turn, their future career. As a former community college guidance counselor of 16 years, I know first- hand the integral role that community colleges play in training and even re-training our workforce. Indeed, education is a continuous, lifelong process, and these colleges are a perfect venue for Americans of all ages to retool their job skills. Moreover, as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am certain that a larger number of America's veterans would also benefit from this proposal, since they could obtain specific certificates and/or additional two year degree(s) from our nation's outstanding community colleges and give themselves an extra edge to reintegrate into the workforce.

Additionally, the Family Leave Policy presented by President Obama would serve as yet another tremendous boost for hard-working American families by providing them with paid sick leave.
Today, too many working parents have to struggle to be both good parents at home and good employees in the workplace, while too many of American workplaces have simply not kept pace with the changing American family. The President's Family Leave Proposal, however, if funded, will go a long way towards bringing our workplace policies into the 21st century.

Lastly, as an influential member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I have always said that one of the best routes to creating well-paying jobs domestically is to invest in our nation's infrastructure system. According to Department of Transportation figures, for every Billion dollars invested, 44,000 jobs are created. I am pleased that President Obama is making transportation a priority by developing a 30 year plan for improving the nation's infrastructure, while simultaneously developing innovative funding sources for our future infrastructure needs."

Source