Politics & Government

Congressmen Respond to President's State of the Union

While Rep. Kerry Bentivolio is critical of Obama's remarks, Rep. Gary Peters applauds his plan for the future.

The Farmington area's representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives both released statements Tuesday, following President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.

Congressman Gary Peters, D-14th Congressional, who represents Farmington Hills, praised the president's remarks:

“Tonight President Obama laid out a clear and balanced plan to continue growing our economy. By making needed investments in infrastructure, education and 21st century manufacturing, we'll create thousands of good paying middle-class jobs in Michigan and across America. I am hopeful that Republicans and Democrats will put our differences aside and work together to advance these important job creating priorities.”

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Congressman Kerry Bentivolio, R-11th Congressional, who represents Farmington, released a lengthier and more critical statement:

“President Obama keeps trying to convince us that giving up our freedoms and letting the government make our decisions on how to run our lives is a sign of progress. He wants the government to tell us how to run our businesses. He wants the government to get between us and our doctors. He wants the government to take more of our nation’s hard earned money instead of letting us spend it for ourselves. All of these intrusions make us less prosperous, less healthy, and less free.

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“This evening we heard the same tired rhetoric from the president. From his speech to Congress in February 2009 to tonight, President Obama has continually stated that he plans to focus his attention on creating jobs and jumpstarting our faltering economy without actually doing so. Why should members of Congress expect him to suddenly turn his attention to the creation of jobs when in his recent inaugural address the millions of Americans without employment went unmentioned? I hope that the president will work with House Republicans to get rid of obstacles created by the government that are hurting our job producers. As a Senator, President Obama once gave a speech declaring that “words matter;” unfortunately, he seems to believe that words are the only things that matter.  This is why he says so much and does so little to help struggling Americans across my state of Michigan, and our nation.

“Furthermore, his demand that more taxes be imposed on our job creators just three months after a tax increase went into effect on 70% of Americans shows a dangerous lack of economic understanding. It is difficult to take the President seriously when he chastises Republicans about the upcoming sequester, when he was the one that proposed it. Mr. Obama is the only President in the history of the nation to have his budget rejected unanimously by Congress. It has happened twice in three years. His proposals have been so unserious that even his own party rejected them.  I ask the president to a produce a set of spending cuts for consideration in the House. The Republicans negotiated in good faith; now it is time for him to do the same.

“Finally, a few weeks ago, the Congressional Budget Office released its annual update which projected that over $7 trillion will be added to the federal debt over the next 10 years even if the sequester goes into effect. The president may have rhetoric, but it is the House Republicans who have math on their side. If we want to pass down a healthy nation to the next generation we must pass a budget that can be balanced sooner rather than later.

“It takes courage to start new businesses and create new jobs. We should not be piling on debt while burdening our entrepreneurs with plans for new taxation. To encourage our job creators, we need to give them the freedom to innovate.  The President asks, ‘How do we attract more jobs to our shores?’ The answer is by not having one of the highest corporate and business taxes in the world. The president asks, ‘How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs?’ The answer is by offering real school reform that focuses on empowering students and parents. The president asks, ‘How do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living?’ The answer is that we must streamline regulations so that it easier to hire new workers rather than making it more difficult.

“The President says that he wants to focus on tax reform. I agree. We must produce a tax reform that is both fair and easy to understand. That’s the progress the American people are searching for. I look forward to working with the White House and my congressional colleagues to create real solutions rather than simply giving speeches filled with unreasonable demands that even members of his own party will not support.”

Do you agree with Bentivolio or Peters? Sound off in the comments below.


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