N.H. Reacts To President Obama's State Of The Union Address

“The American people sent us to Washington to fully debate the issues and solve tough problems. President Obama identified several areas where Republicans and Democrats must work together, and one of them is strengthening our nation’s infrastructure. I hope he’ll take a serious look at bipartisan legislation I recently helped introduce that would create a fund to finance infrastructure projects without using taxpayer dollars. I also hope the president is serious about reforming our corporate tax code -- the highest in the world – to simplify and lower rates, which would make America more competitive, help grow jobs and keep investment here. “It was a glaring omission that the President’s speech didn’t address the serious problems with Obamacare. New Hampshire citizens have told me they’re losing their doctors, seeing their coverage cancelled or having to pay more for it. We need to tackle these problems head on.”

“Both parties must work together on our most important priorities: helping create jobs, growing our economy, and strengthening small businesses in New Hampshire and across the country. There are a number of bipartisan proposals that Congress should act on immediately to accomplish these goals, including my bipartisan energy efficiency legislation which will help stimulate the economy, save taxpayers money, and protect our environment from pollution. Higher education is also smart investment in our economic future; we have to make college more affordable for students so that they can acquire the necessary skills to meet future economic demand. “In recent weeks we’ve seen signs of bipartisan progress on important issues facing our country and I hope we will build on that cooperation to address the many additional challenges we face as a nation. I will continue to work across the aisle with anyone who is willing to work in good faith to move our economy, and our country, forward.”

“The President is clearly focused on the middle class and their struggles. While the economy has improved and this country is moving forward, we are still leaving far too many people behind. I hope Congress and the White House will stay focused on finding solutions to the problems facing the middle class and work together to jumpstart the American Dream.”

“In tonight’s speech, President Obama outlined what remains the most critical challenge facing our nation today: creating jobs and opportunity for middle class families. “Now six years after the national recession, many families remain left behind, unable to retain steady, well-paying jobs. To that end, it is essential that Republicans and Democrats continue to work together to create jobs, grow the economy, and help our families move forward. “In December, members of both parties came together to pass a bipartisan budget agreement that did away with some of the reckless, across-the-board cuts that threatened our businesses and weakened the economy. Now, as the President agreed, it is essential that we build on this momentum and continue to work together to address the critical issues facing our nation. “I applaud the President’s support for increasing the federal minimum wage. This will help many of our hardest-working friends and neighbors earn a living and support their families. Looking forward, we must continue to focus in the coming months on expanding opportunities for middle class families and supporting small businesses, the backbone of our economy. We must continue to invest in developing a 21st Century workforce. We must continue our work to reduce the deficit in a balanced, responsible way, and we must preserve Social Security and Medicare to help our seniors retire with dignity.”

"The President laid out the clear differences between the Democratic vision of progress and expanded opportunity, and the same old Republican plan to take us back to the disastrous policies of the past and continue a dangerous social agenda instead of putting Americans back to work. "Five years after the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, our economy is rebounding, more than eight million new jobs have been created in the past 46 months, and we are primed to create even more in the future. Democrats know we have much more work to do, and are hard at work to get the job done. "Republicans ideological obsession with refighting the health care battles of past regardless of the cost, is a constant reminder of their pathetic failure to rebrand their out of touch party after the 2012 elections, and instead double down on the same chilling rhetoric and radical Tea Party policies that continue to alienate voters."

"Tonight, President Obama doubled-down on the failed policies that have given us more debt, more job-killing regulations and forced people to lose their health insurance. Instead of offering a new plan to address the challenges facing our country, the president focused on his plan to disregard the Constitution by ignoring Congress and expanding his power. His agenda flies in the face of the vision laid out by our Founding Fathers who established a system of checks and balances to ensure a limited federal government. "Jeanne Shaheen, Annie Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter have all blindly supported President Obama's destructive policies and enthusiastically championed his disastrous health care law. They are political puppets and rubber stamps in Congress for a president who lacks the vision and priorities needed to create economic opportunity for New Hampshire families. "Tonight's speech reminded voters that President Obama is a failure. In order to get our country back on track we need to replace his loyal foot soldiers like Senator Shaheen. Representative Kuster and Shea Porter with fiscally responsible Republicans who will stand up to the liberal Obama agenda and promote pro growth policies."