| WASHINGTON,
D.C. – “In his State of the Union Address, the President pointed to the
unfinished business that remains and laid out an agenda that will prepare
our nation to meet the challenges ahead. This is an aggressive and
progressive agenda that represents the priorities of the President, the
Democratic members, and the American people. The American people will soon
find out if Washington is ready to meet those priorities and complete the
people’s business.
“The
people know that there is a need to give our seniors access to affordable
prescription drugs; to expand healthcare to the 44 million uninsured Americans;
to strengthen and extend the solvency of Social Security and Medicare;
to modernize our schools; and to pass a real Patients’ Bill of Rights.
For the sake of hard working families and in the spirit of economic fairness,
there is a need for Congress to raise the minimum wage, to ensure equal
pay for equal work, and to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for the
working poor. And we must continue to promote peace in the
Middle East and international debt relief.
“It
is clear what needs to be done. With a projected budget surplus of
up to $1.9 trillion, we have the resources do it. All that we are
missing is the political will and a commitment from the Republican leadership
in Congress to get the job done.
“Our
nation is in the enviable position of having a budget surplus. We
must invest that surplus in the future so that this century is one of more
opportunity, income equality, and social and economic justice.” |
