Articles
Statement of Congressman Richard E. Neal on President Obama's State of the Union Address
Washington, DC,
February 13, 2013
CONTACT: William Tranghese (202) 225-8410 or ON PRESIDENT OBAMA'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS "I am pleased that President Obama continues to make job creation and economic growth his top priorities. While our economy is clearly showing signs of recovery, too many people in Massachusetts still find themselves out of work through no fault of their own. Economic growth, generated by education, innovation and skill, can help create a thriving middle class. And President Obama clearly believes that the American Dream is something everyone should be able to achieve if they work hard enough. I welcomed his proposals tonight to grow the economy, reduce our deficit and create jobs, and look forward to working with him to build on the progress that was made in his first term. "I was also very pleased that he had a candid conversation with Americans about the scourge of gun violence in our country. As a nation, we need to find common sense solutions that will protect our children and our communities from future acts of gun violence. And today's tragic shooting of two law enforcement officers in California only reinforces that need. I agree with the President that this issue should not polarize America. And I support his call for universal background checks and closing the gun show loopholes. I was glad that President Obama raised the issue of comprehensive immigration reform during his remarks. We can all agree that our immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed. I strongly believe a bipartisan solution can be found that strengthens our borders, requires undocumented workers to pay fees and penalties, pass background checks and learn English. We can no longer ignore the 11 million people who are currently living in the shadows. The President's blueprint offers us a sensible way forward where everyone living in the United States plays by the same rules." |