S. Florida Leaders React To The State Of The Union Address
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart - (R) Florida
"The President's attitude to transcend Washington partisanship has vanished. What happened to 'no blue states or red states, no white, black or Latino, just united America,' or his promised 'monthly meetings with both Democratic and Republican leadership.' Given the dismal results of his economic policies, Oba ma resorts to using divisive rhetoric, blaming one group for the other groups' misfortune. This dangerous approach only weakens and divides us, as Americans - not Republicans or Democrats."
Congressman Alcee Hastings - (D) Florida
"In the past year, both the nation and the world have seen many changes. We have brought our troops home from Iraq, saw the dismantling of al Qaeda with the death of Osama bin Laden, and the whole world witnessed as many brutal dictators were unseated during the Arab Spring. Unfortunately, this same year brought a multitude of manufactured crises and inaction by House Republicans who failed to address the urgent need for job creation in America. The President is right; the American people can't wait any longer. Enough is enough. We must come together and put the American economy, American jobs, and most importantly, the American people first."
Congressman David Rivera - (R) Florida
"While Florida residents continue to struggle to improve their own economic situation, President Obama gives his third State of the Union address. During the last three years our nation's economy has worsened. The unemployment rate is higher than when President Obama was inaugurated and our national debt has grown to more than $15 trillion. Unfortunately, according to the President and Democrats in the Senate, the solution to these problems is not only more government participation in the private sector, but more government spending as a means to help an ailing economy."
State Rep. Luis Garcia - (D) Miami
"Today's challenges are too great to continue with business as usual in Congress. President Obama has chartered an ambitious blueprint to move our country forward and achieve stability for the nation's economy. I applaud President Obama's efforts to turn our economy around and end the disastrous Bush-era policies that led us to the Great Recession. But, our work is far from over and the United States House of Representatives must end their gridlock and governing through bumper-stick solutions, and recognize that Americans are yearning for solutions to the mounting challenges we face."
Senator Bill Nelson - (D) Florida
"I'm really looking forward to working with a lot of my colleagues in a bipartisan way and in a civil way on some of the more specific proposals that the President outlined tonight, like creating manufacturing jobs right here and bringing them back from overseas. It's about time we start seeing more things designed and produced by American workers - and stamped 'Made in the USA.' And there was also a very special moment tonight in honor of Gabby Giffords. She has showed all of us what it means through suffering to have courage, and ultimately victory."
Senator Marco Rubio - (R) Florida
"I'm actually very disturbed by the speech tonight. The President is on the verge of committing economic malpractice. How does raising taxes create jobs? How does raising my boss's taxes help me keep my job? Why is he advocating policies that will punish people that are investing in American businesses that are creating middle class jobs? It just doesn't make a lot of sense. It's the kind of policies that have taken a bad economy over the last four years and made everything worse."
