Great Falls Tribune - Rep. Zinke's Expectations for State of the Union

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By Ryan Zinke

Tuesday evening, President Obama will deliver the annual State of the Union Address. It is the one time each year that Congress and America can hear the president lay out his agenda for the country.

This year is particularly important because of what we face in today's world. Too many Montana families, seniors and veterans are struggling to get by, and our nation is facing a growing Islamic jihadist threat. People are looking to the president for leadership; so far he has not delivered.

With a new Congress, the president has the opportunity to move forward on issues that are important to Montana's economy and our national security. I am optimistic that Congress will get the job done for Montana and will be listening to the President's speech closely for two particular areas: the economy and national security.

Families in Montana are struggling to make ends meet in Obama's part-time economy. Taxes are too high. Tuition is too expensive. Veterans aren't receiving the care they deserve. And Obamacare is a disaster. I want to hear the president present at least one bipartisan solution to address these kitchen table issues. The Washington way of throwing money at a problem with no solution does not work.

It is estimated that federal regulations put an extra $15,000 burden on every Montana household. That is money that should be going toward retirement, a down payment on a home, or sending the kids to college -- not to the federal government. As a state senator, I helped craft legislation that provided regulatory relief for some of Montana's poorest families, and last week I voted to reduce the federal costs families face. But more must be done.

In the past, the president proposed costly carbon tax plans that would cause utility and gas prices to skyrocket, and essentially shut down any hope of developing Montana's coal industry. It is my hope the president will abandon these ill-advised ideas, and instead choose to work together to come up with bipartisan solutions that lower costs to families and create good-paying jobs.

Finally, the president must present a clear and concise plan to combat the growing threat of Islamic terrorism. His no show foreign policy is not cutting it -- neither with our allies, nor our enemies.

Currently, the president refuses to even use the words Islamic and terrorism in the same sentence, yet that is exactly the threat we face. I spent more than 20 years as a Navy SEAL, many of which were dedicated to fighting these exact threats in the Middle East following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

To win the war on Islamic terror it will take an aggressive approach abroad, as well as securing the southern border, and in effect, our homeland. The southern border has become a nexus for national security and immigration. A recent report by U.S. Customs and Border Protection found that people from 75 countries illegally crossed the border between the U.S. and Mexico from countries like Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia, which are hotbeds for Islamic terrorists. It is my hope the president will do the right thing for America and announce he will reject the radical leftist plan to shut down the Department of Homeland Security.

There are several other issues important to Montana that I am working on daily -- reforming federal management of our forests, making public lands public, improving the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Veterans Administration, the list goes on -- but tonight, I expect the president to lay out a clear agenda that secures our nation and strengthens our economy.

Congressman Ryan Zinke was sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 6. Before serving in Congress, Zinke served in the Montana State Senate representing Whitefish and is a 23-year Navy SEAL veteran.

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