Kaine Statement On The President's State Of The Union Address
Statement
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after President Obama delivered his final State of the Union Address:
"Tonight, President Obama reflected on the significant progress our country has made over the past seven years and challenged us to reach higher. After assuming office in the midst of a global fiscal collapse and two open-ended wars, President Obama has patiently worked to rebuild a more sustainable economy, inspire an innovative and cleaner energy future, advance the equality and health of all citizens and reinvigorate diplomacy as a major measure of American strength. Challenges remain, at home and abroad, but the American spirit is strong and it stands in stark contrast to the histrionic pessimism emanating from a few headline grabbing Presidential candidates.
"I appreciate President Obama's renewed call for Congress to finally come together to recognize ISIL as our enemy and authorize the use of military force against the terrorist group, but I'm disappointed another State of the Union has gone by without action from our country's elected leaders on this critical issue -- one that has left our servicemembers deployed to fight over the past 17 months without the most important signal of support we can offer.
"I am also pleased the President touched on the issue of opioid abuse -- a growing epidemic in Virginia and the reason I invited Don Flattery, a resident of Alexandria, to be my guest tonight. Don lost his son Kevin -- a 26-year-old graduate of the University of Virginia -- to an opioid overdose in 2014. Don is such a powerful advocate because his story shows us that this epidemic goes beyond shocking statistics; it's impacting families from all walks of life and robbing us of young people like Kevin who have incredible potential. I'm hopeful Congress will soon take action to help stop the opioid addiction crisis by increasing access to the life-saving drug Naloxone, addressing the overprescription of opioids, ensuring those in need have affordable treatment options and improving prevention efforts in communities across the country."
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