Rokita Responds to the President's State of the Union Address

Statement

Tonight Rep. Todd Rokita responded to President Obama's State of the Union address:

"I hoped we would hear a serious speech tonight from President Obama perhaps finally acknowledging that his economic policies of bigger government and more spending have failed, and that government is the problem, not the solution. I had also hoped he would acknowledge that the individual is what made America great, and will make her great again.

Instead, we heard another speech heavy on campaign rhetoric, and filled with promises of more of the same bigger government that led to 14 million unemployed Americans and $15 trillion in debt.

Instead of having government make decisions for us, as President Obama advocated tonight, we need to empower individuals to make decisions for themselves. We need to return to being a country of equal opportunity and economic freedom. When individuals have economic liberty, they grow the economic pie, creating more wealth, more opportunity and a better life for all Americans and the generations to come.

Equality of opportunity, rule of law, and minimal, but reasonable regulation allow the innovation and hard work of individuals to be rewarded under a free enterprise system--a system that has done more to raise the condition of all men than any bureaucrat, program or handout has ever done.

House Republicans also recognize this, and that's why we have sent more than 30 bipartisan bills to reduce regulation, reform the tax code, and increase domestic energy production to the Democrat-controlled Senate, where 27 of them languish today. Just last week, the President killed thousands of jobs with his Keystone pipeline decision. The President's policies are no longer just exploding our debt and failing to create the economic growth he promised--they are preventing new jobs from being created and creating a future less bright for our children and grandchildren."

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