Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-19) has issued the following statement following President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech Wednesday night:
"It is about time that the President called for some spending restraint. I support a limited freeze but wish it would go further with strict budget caps that would force us to make the tough decisions. It's unfortunate that we have to consider a budget commission to do the job the voters sent us here to do. But any help in controlling mandatory and discretionary spending is a step in the right direction.
"The best thing we can do for our nation is to get everyone back to work. It is our businesses that employ our citizens, and we need to stop scaring them with proposals to nationalize healthcare, take over the energy infrastructure, raise taxes, and expand burdensome government regulations.
"Islamic radicals continue to threaten the free world. I support the President's surge in Afghanistan but oppose the closing of Guantanamo and trying enemy combatants in civilian courts.
"Although I may not agree with the President on all his proposals, I want to work with him on bipartisan solutions to all of the problems we are facing as a country."