Heitkamp Reaction to State of the Union

Statement

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp tonight released the following statement reacting to the President's State of the Union address. Heitkamp gave her extra ticket for the address to wounded war veteran Eric Marts, who hosts a Fargo radio program that focuses on improving the lives of veterans.

"Tonight, the President offered his plans to move our country forward. Some of the proposals, like those that will reduce our deficit and promote job growth, are ones that I look forward to working on with him. But there were also some other issues that I wish he had addressed.

"Our nation is much stronger when the President and Congress collaborate to move the nation forward -- rather than just through unilateral action. I plan to continue to work to find common ground with this Administration, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, to make our nation stronger -- just as I have done since day one in the Senate. And I hope the President will work toward this goal as well.

"The President talked about the need to do more for our veterans -- as we absolutely need to live up to our promises to fight for them. It was such an honor for me to have Eric Marts use my extra ticket. Tonight, the President rightly recognized the sacrifice he and other veterans across the country have made for us, and pledged to give them and their families the support they deserve after they return home.

"Since I came to the Senate, my top priority has been to pass a long-term Farm Bill. I wish the President had mentioned how important this bipartisan legislation is to our country -- for the farmers, ranchers, low-income Americans, and families across the country who rely on our home grown food. I look forward to seeing him signing our bill into law very soon.

"Tonight would have been a great opportunity for him to announce he is supporting the Keystone XL pipeline, and that his Administration is moving forward with a true all-of-the-above energy approach. Unfortunately, he failed to talk about finding a viable path forward for coal, which currently provides almost 80 percent of North Dakota's electricity. We need to be realistic, and we need to find workable solutions that encourage continued investments in clean coal technologies, like North Dakota is already doing.

"North Dakotans just want us in Congress to do our jobs -- like they do every day -- and stand up for them. That shouldn't be a hard ask. I hope throughout the coming year we can stop the partisan bickering and actually get things done."

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