State of the Union Local Lawmaker Responses
By: Jeffrey Campbell
Updated: February 13, 2013
From Senator Mark Pryor (D)
"Tonight, the President covered a lot of ground. Giving a speech is one thing, but putting your political muscle behind creating jobs, improving our economy, and tackling our debt and deficit is another. Going forward, I hope the President--and Congress--will focus on areas of common ground whether it's boosting our manufacturing sector, investing in our infrastructure, or ensuring our future global competitiveness. We need to reduce our deficit, and I look forward to seeing the President's proposals on paper. If we set aside differences and work together, I believe Congress will have a productive year."
From Congressman Steve Womack (R)
"In tonight's State of the Union address, President Obama's call for bipartisanship and a smarter - rather than bigger - government stood in stark contrast to his actions during the first four years of his presidency. Unfortunately for him, those actions speak louder than his words. Under his direction and leadership, those four years have been plagued with unprecedented spending, trillion dollar deficits, endless regulations, and an unwillingness to come together with House Republicans who - in the last Congress alone - passed over twenty-five proposals to get our fiscal house in order.
"More government has proven not to be the answer, and I am disappointed the President offered little more than a proposal for a second 'stimulus' to address our nation's debt and deficits. We need a plan to tackle our spending and, after tonight's speech, it is clear that it will not come from the President of the United States."
From Senator John Boozman (R)
Jobs
"I am disappointed that President Obama did not bring any new, specific ideas to the table to address the biggest issue facing our nation--jobs. His focus seemed largely on other issues at a time when everyone in Washington should be focused like a laser beam on how we can create an environment that can put more Americans back to work and in well-paying jobs. We need to work together to jumpstart job growth in the private sector, but the President must lead by example."
Sequestration
"We have got to get our fiscal house in order. We are less than three week away from drastic across-the-board cuts that President Obama proposed and agreed to and while he talked of the need to avoid the sequestration, offered little in terms of specifics on how we can achieve that goal. The House has already passed two bills that have languished in the Senate and the President has yet to introduce a plan of his own to avert the sequestration to Congress. The reality is soon all our resources will be consumed by serving the debt. We can't afford that, and sequestration is not the optimal solution, but we must reduce spending. However, the cuts can, and should be done, in a smarter way."
Immigration
"President Obama discussed his ideas for immigration reform, many of which we've heard before. I'm glad that members on both sides of the aisle are involved in these reform discussions. There are some key provisions that I would like to see in a reform package and the President touched on some of those including securing the border and enforcing the laws on the book. However, he continues to push amnesty, which is a policy direction I cannot support. We must not reward people for breaking the law, so I will continue to oppose amnesty proposals. In the meantime we can accomplish some of these ideas with current legislation."
Obamacare
"I would disagree with President Obama's contention that his law has brought down health care costs. They are skyrocketing, largely because the law does nothing to contain costs. That is going to hit home as Americans will see their premiums rise under this law. The only way to stop this trend is to institute market-based reforms instead of allowing the government to dictate our health care needs."
Gun control
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and all those affected by unimaginable tragedy like Newtown. We must have an open and honest discussion about the state of mental health care in this country and the root causes of this senseless violence, but new gun laws are not the answer. I will continue to fight to protect our Second Amendment right."
More News
-
Man Arrested in Fayetteville Teen's Death
LITTLE ROCK, AR- A man was arrested and is accused of killing and robbing a Fayetteville teen on May 10th.
Read More» -
Fire at Colton's Resturant in Rogers
ROGERS, AR- Rogers firefighters responded to a call at Colton's restaurant Wednesday evening.
Read More» -
Bentonville Bomb Squad Investigates Suspicious Items
BENTONVILLE, AR. -- On Wednesday morning, the Bentonville bomb squad investigated some suspicious looking materials.
Read More» -
Lane Closures Cause I-540 Congestion
Lane closures on Interstate 540 are causing congestion between the Johnson and Springdale exits.
Read More» -
Moore Disaster Relief Crews Suggest Ways to Help
Local relief groups working in Moore understand people want to help tornado victims as soon as possible, but they say it may be better to...
Read More»
Page 1 of 6772
©1998 - 2013 Nwahomepage.com
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc.
All Rights Reserved