"Over the past six years, our nation has taken great strides forward. We have grown our economy, and have seen the longest stretch of job creation in our country's history. This progress is important, but there is much more work to be done. In his State of the Union address this evening, President Obama laid out his plan to build on this momentum, invest in our country and our workforce, and ensure that every American family is part of our nation's comeback.
"I share the President's belief that to truly move our country forward, we must enact policies that work for working families. We must continue to create jobs. We must make homeownership more accessible and affordable. We must make paychecks go farther by increasing the national minimum wage, enacting family-friendly policies including paid sick days and paid family leave, and ensuring fair and equal pay for women, 40 percent of whom are the primary breadwinners in their families. These policies help ensure working families have the tools they need to be successful in the home and the workplace.
"We also must ensure we are preparing all Americans to enter the workforce and earn higher wages. I support the President's community college proposal. By making two years of community college free for responsible students, we can help set these students up for a lifetime of success, while ensuring we have a 21st century workforce prepared for the careers of today and tomorrow. But this is not enough. We must make sure all children have the foundation of success, by enacting universal pre-K. Investing in education for all Americans sets our country on a path to success for years to come.
"To truly move this nation forward, we must ensure our policies allow innovation to foster and creativity to take hold. The ability to dream of and develop the next great idea is an indelible part of the American dream. I applaud the President's initiative to expand affordable, high-speed broadband to more communities across the nation. This initiative will spur competition and ensure all Americans have the opportunity to engage in the digital economy.
"I was also thrilled to hear the President reiterate his support for net neutrality. An open and free Internet is the lifeblood of innovation. I have authored legislation to protect net neutrality by banning Internet fast lanes, and I look forward to working closely with the President and my colleagues in Congress to protect the Internet and allow innovation to foster and grow.
"This evening the President laid out a path forward for our country that builds on the positive growth we have seen over the past several years. Now, Congress must take action to turn this path into legislation, and the legislation into law. I look forward to working with the President, his Administration, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to expand economic opportunity for all Americans."