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Washington, DC – Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) issued the following statement tonight in response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:
“The policies President Obama outlined in his State of the Union address are a victory for all Americans, and especially for middle-income families. As our economy continues to grow stronger, the President understands that America’s working families are not feeling the full impact of our economic recovery. Too many Americans are looking at their paychecks and wondering how they are going to pay all their bills, let alone set aside money for the future. That is why I am pleased the President’s speech outlined a bold and effective series of steps which will make Americans more financially secure and move more families up into middle-income status.
“Among those proposals, the President will put more money in the wallets of working families by cutting their taxes.
“By proposing to give students two free years of community college, President Obama is giving our nation’s youth critical help in competing for the high-wage jobs of the future.
“The President’s support for reducing annual mortgage insurance premiums will help more Americans realize the dream of homeownership, including families in our own communities.
“By vowing to protect the Affordable Care Act against efforts to weaken it, the President is continuing his commitment to help Americans obtain affordable health care.
“I am glad that President Obama is taking bold action to expand paid leave for American workers, because paid sick leave, as well as paid family and medical leave, are essential to the health of our families, our children, and our workforce.
“Finally, I thank the President for standing by his executive orders to improve our nation’s broken immigration system and grant relief to qualified undocumented immigrants. I hope the President’s firm commitment to his executive orders will move Congressional Republicans to end their efforts to undo these immigration initiatives, and instead build on the President’s orders by passing bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform.
“I applaud the President’s agenda to help America’s families. For our nation’s recovery to take firm hold, all Americans need to feel a fuller benefit. It is long past time for members of both parties to unite around the President’s common-sense, mainstream proposals and get this important work done.”
