Congressman Alex Mooney Responds to the President's State of the Union Address

Statement

Republican Congressman Alex Mooney (WV-2) released the following response to President Obama's State of the Union address.

"The Republican House, with support from many Democrats, has passed legislation on the priorities of the American people. The House has voted to authorize construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, restore the definition of a full-time work week to 40 hours rather than 30, and exempt veterans and first responders from the employer mandate of Obamacare. We chose to begin the year empowering hard-working taxpayers."

"Unfortunately, President Obama has shown tonight that he is entrenched behind Washington gridlock for the sake of partisan politics. Rather than support common sense ideas to create more opportunity for all Americans, the President continues to use unilateral executive action to push his allies' radical agenda. The President has promised to use his veto power to halt the implementation of policies such as the Keystone XL Pipeline, which the American people strongly support."

"This intransigence has real world consequences for the people of West Virginia. The energy industry in our state is under assault by the President's EPA. Everyone supports clean air and water, but the President's EPA has declared war on West Virginian jobs to please activists and special interests in Washington. The Republican Congress and I want to empower American families to safely seek prosperity from our natural bounty. We support policies to lower energy prices, create jobs, and encourage investment in a secure energy future for our nation."

"In his speech, the President also attempted to reignite class warfare by proposing damaging new tax hikes. I believe this is an insult to the American people who last November demanded cooperation and common sense policies rather than useless rhetoric."

"The President should stand ready to work with the Republican conference which has a bold vision to empower hard-working taxpayers rather than the federal government. If the President cannot let go of his desire for partisan gridlock, we must fight for the votes to override the President's vetoes of critical legislation. We need bipartisan cooperation."

"The Republicans in Congress and I will continue to fight and seek consensus in the coming weeks for a fairer, simpler tax code, more educational opportunities for young people, and flexibility for families in the workplace. It is my sincere hope that despite the rhetoric, the President will work with Congress for a better future."

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