Congressman Rubén Hinojosa Statement on the State of the Union

Press Release

Congressman Rubén Hinojosa released the following statement after attending the final State of the Union address by President Obama:

"When President Obama took office seven years ago, the United States was involved in two wars, losing 800,000 jobs per month, and enduring the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But, with the president's leadership and the hard work of the American people, we were able to significantly turn around our country and pave the way for a brighter future, while upholding the American spirit.

"One of the key areas of improvement that the President discussed is the economy, especially job growth. For example, while 14.1 million new jobs were created nationally in the past 70 months, with 292,000 new jobs created in December 2015, South Texas's unemployment rate decreased from double-digits to 8 percent. This job growth will remain at this steady and sustainable rate moving forward, as the President will continue to work on building an economic foundation that works for the middle class and those fighting to join it.

"Despite this progress and great job growth, the President acknowledged that we need to do more, especially with the ever-changing innovations and technology expansions. Education and workforce training is a key ingredient to initiate stronger growth and for individuals to learn a new set of skills to acquire a job to keep up with this changing environment. The bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act is a step towards a better quality of education for our students in K to 12th grades, and encouraging and providing greater access to STEM education, such as with HESTEC, will allow for more individuals to continue innovating for the future. The president also highlighted the need to make college more affordable for everyone by reducing tuition rates, which will enable our country's youth to fulfill higher aspirations.

"After a century of countless failed efforts, Barack Obama was the President who finally made universal, affordable health care a reality for all. Within the past six years, nearly 18 million previously uninsured Americans have gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Locally in my district, over 50,000 previously uninsured individuals now have access to affordable healthcare. ACA has allowed more Americans to have access to healthcare than ever before.

"The President discussed the importance of America maintaining its leadership role in the world. America is, after all, the most powerful nation on Earth. We re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba. We passed a momentous trade agreement, the Trade Promotion Authority, that provides further opportunity for our American businesses and workers to prosper. Under President Obama, we secured the Paris agreement by teaming up with 195 other countries in the world in order to combat climate change. We must continue to work with our allies to ensure that Iran removes all nuclear weapons. The list goes on. I agree with the president that we must show the world how progress works when America leads.

"Finally, President Obama has worked to make sure that everyone has a shot at the American Dream. In his final year, the President is committed to protecting our country's promise for all -- no matter who you are, where you come from, or whom you love. However, the President must secure this for the refugees who are fleeing from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Although the president did not discuss this humanitarian issue during his speech, my colleagues in Congress and I have called upon the administration to act and provide these oppressed individuals with due diligence and due process.

"The President spoke about the future and infusing the American spirit in our country -- the spirit of discovery, optimism, work ethic, innovation, diversity, and commitment to the rule of law. Although we have one more year left for the current administration and for my tenure in Congress, there is no reason not to continue producing bipartisan action and instilling this American spirit for generations to come through comprehensive legislation. 2016 and beyond is a time to solidify, persevere, and strive to broaden the opportunity and extraordinary changes that our diverse country has yet to achieve. We must work together to ensure and maintain security for our families, improvement in our standards of living, and peace for all."

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