Congressman Gary Miller's Statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address

Statement

This evening, President Obama delivered his annual State of the Union Address. Following the President's speech, Congressman Gary Miller (CA-31) issued this statement:

"I agree with the President that we need a growing economy that will create good-paying jobs and opportunities for American workers. However, this is going to require us to make some difficult choices. We need to restore fiscal sanity in Washington and we need to ensure American companies can compete in the global economy. When President Obama was sworn into office, the nation's unemployment rate was 7.8 percent. Four years and $5 trillion later, the rate has barely changed. In San Bernardino County, 10.8 percent of residents were out of work in the month of December. This is unacceptable. It is time for both parties to come together to tackle the challenges that pose a threat to our long-term prosperity and security. I am hopeful that the President is finally ready to work across the aisle to make this happen.

It was nice to hear President Obama acknowledge that we don't need bigger government, but a smarter, more efficient government. Unfortunately, his words don't match the actions the Administration has taken so far. For example, the Dodd-Frank Act requires eleven separate government agencies to issue 243 new rules, a vast expansion of government and a huge burden on Main Street. We have already seen thousands of pages of new regulations take effect, raising costs and limiting choices for consumers, with questionable results. One of the bright spots in our economy recently has been the housing market, which is finally starting to recover after a deep and prolonged downturn. Housing will continue to be a key driver of our economic recovery and job creation, especially in the Inland Empire. With the fragile housing market recovery, I am concerned about the volumes of new regulations coming out that could disrupt the recovery by limiting access to credit for qualified potential buyers. I will work with the Administration to ensure that the President's words tonight are reflected in their regulatory actions.

While the challenges that lie before us are daunting, they are not impossible to overcome. I look forward to working with members of both parties to put our country back on a fiscally sustainable path that will enable strong economic growth and job creation in the Inland Empire and our nation."

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