Aderholt Hopeful President's State of the Union Speech Will Offer Real Solutions

Statement

Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04), today released the following statement regarding his hopes for President Barack Obama's address to the nation this evening:

"Reports have indicated the President will discuss some key issues affecting our nation, including immigration, manufacturing, jobs and energy in his speech this evening. I look forward to hearing his ideas on these important matters and I hope that his remarks are more than just rhetoric and empty promises. The American people are looking to the President for leadership and to provide clear solutions to our nation's challenges," said Aderholt.

"While the President has been calling for more American jobs, I think it should be noted that there are over 25 House-passed pieces of pro-growth legislation awaiting action in the Senate. In recent weeks, President Obama also rejected the Keystone XL pipeline project--an initiative that is supported by Democrats and Republicans alike--that would create jobs and reduce our nation's dependence on foreign sources of energy."

"The President has promised to reduce the federal deficit and bring openness and transparency to the budgeting process. Yet at the same time, the U.S. credit rating was recently downgraded to AA+ and the national debt stands at more than $15 trillion. Just yesterday, the Administration announced its budget would be released a week late, for undisclosed reasons. While the House has returned the appropriations process to regular order and proposed thoughtful cuts and meaningful, hard-hitting oversight to the federal budget, as of today the Democrat-led Senate has not passed a budget in 1,000 days."

"In the President's past two annual addresses, he has called for meaningful immigration reform. However, his departments are stalling fully-funded immigration programs like Secure Communities and undermining the laws of the land, by potentially granting backdoor amnesty to illegal immigrants through the creation of a new Department of Homeland Security working group."

"I think the American people have high hopes the President will present real solutions to our nation's spending-driven debt crisis and offer a plan to provide job creators the certainty they need, so our economy can grow. Furthermore, we hope tonight the President will offer bold ideas to strengthen and preserve programs like Medicare for today and tomorrow's seniors. And we hope he will encourage the Senate to do the job Americans sent them to Washington to do--pass a budget and vote on the jobs bills waiting at their door. The time is now. Americans deserve strong, sound leadership, not more empty promises," concluded Aderholt.

Aderholt currently serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security for the powerful House Appropriations Committee, is a member of the Committee's Commerce, Justice and Science; and Agriculture Subcommittees, and also serves on the Helsinki Commission.

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