Sen. Toomey Welcomes President, Vice President To Northeast PA

Statement

U. S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) released the following statement in anticipation of a visit by President Obama and Vice President Biden to Scranton.

"I am glad to welcome President Obama and Vice President Biden to Scranton. Their visit, a homecoming for the Vice President, will bring attention to a beautiful region in our commonwealth. And the President will have the chance to meet the great, hardworking people of Northeast Pennsylvania.

"I understand the President will be discussing affordability in higher education. I believe that this is an important issue since a college degree is becoming ever more important in today's job market. It is also why I supported a recent bipartisan bill to address student loans.

"I'd like to see the President focus on the underwhelming job growth in today's stagnant economy. For instance, the lack of adequate job opportunities for recent graduates is still a major problem and will make it tough for them to pay for their education, no matter how much we subsidize student loans or try to control tuition costs.

"And when it comes to tackling job growth in Pennsylvania, the President has been either absent or has pursued the wrong policies. The massive deficits, tax increases, overspending, onerous red tape, and the President's health care law are having a chilling effect on our state's economy and hiring. It's time for Washington to start encouraging more economic opportunity and jobs for Pennsylvanians, not stifling them. The President needs to take a step back from his big-government approach and seek common ground on sensible, pro-growth policies such as tax reform that will unleash the full potential of our economy."

Source