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State of the Union Leaves Americans Disappointed

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State of the Union Leaves Americans Disappointed
President’s Economic Agenda Lacks Focus; Hurts Individuals 

(Washington, D.C.) – Last night President Obama delivered the annual State of the Union Address to Congress. The address did not offer plans on immigration reform, fixes to the Affordable Care Act, or realistic measures to incentivize economic growth. Instead the address has been characterized as presenting an “unrealistic world view.” The address did little to allay the concerns of the majority of Americans (66%) who are dissatisfied with the direction of the country and the many saying that the U.S. is “seriously on the wrong track.”

Daniel Garza, Executive Director of The LIBRE Initiative, released the following statement:  

“Last night President Obama had an opportunity to offer reassurance to Americans still besieged by uncertainty in these trying economic times, and to present realistic, achievable plans to improve their lives. Instead he glossed over real problems while focusing on partisan goals, and not acknowledging the will of the people. He offered the same list of promises we hear every year – promises more focused on politics than results. 

When the speech turned to matters of policy, the president touted his record on the economy while making no mention of the fact that full-time employment hasn’t recovered, that the labor force participation rate has fallen to the lowest levels since 1978 or that from energy to health care to financial services, President Obama’s policies have made the cost of living and doing business more expensive. The president took credit for energy production – but gains have came from private, not federal lands, where access has declined dramatically. He failed to defend his administration’s six-year ‘review’ of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which enjoys broad bipartisan support and would generate 40,000 jobs. 

The president is proposing more taxes – an additional $320 billion over the next ten years – but the U.S. will still add trillions to the debt. This will hurt hard-working, middle class Americans, in particular Hispanics. Too often the president has put politics ahead of jobs and the needs of Americans. It’s disappointing that his last two years won’t be any different.”

For interviews with a LIBRE representative, please contact: Brian Faughnan, 703-678-4581 or Steven Cruz, 202-578-6173.

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