Griffith Responds to State of the Union

Statement

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union address earlier this evening:

"President Obama could have used his time tonight laying out his plans to work with Congress to improve our health care system, increase our energy independence, encourage job growth, decrease our debt and deficits, and more. Instead, he told us he is planning a lot of executive actions. If he is not willing to roll up his sleeves and work with Congress -- even with those of us who generally disagree with him -- then he is a failed leader. Shame on him for not seizing on the spirit of bipartisanship of the last two months in Congress, and instead threatening to rule by executive dictate. He must follow the Constitution and stay within the framework envisioned by our Founding Fathers, a framework of checks and balances where policy is debated and crafted by an executive branch and a legislative branch, neither of which can govern without the other.

"I also note with interest that he again referenced an "all of the above' energy policy, but for the third year in a row, he has failed to mention coal. He may not like coal, but America still relies on coal to keep the lights on, to keep the heat on, and to keep American jobs."

Source