Did you spot me? I was seated beside my dear friend, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez. Here are my thoughts on the night of President Obama's first address to Congress:
"President Obama took the oath of office to lead our nation at a time of great challenge and opportunity. He wasted no time, calling for immediate action to confront the economic crisis, and shepherding a comprehensive economic recovery package through Congress. The benefits provided in the recovery package go directly to millions of families struggling to make ends meet. We provided one of the most expansive packages of tax cuts to middle- and lower-income families in the history of our great nation and put in place the most significant enhancement of Federal benefits for the unemployed since the New Deal.
Tonight, President Obama further detailed how this recovery package serves as a down payment on future economic growth through investments in infrastructure, education, health information technology and renewable energy production. While it is easy to dwell on the challenges we face, I believe these investments leave us poised once again to achieve greatness and lead the world in new technological developments that will recharge our economic engine.
Indeed, the course charted by President Obama during his first month in office is nothing short of revolutionary. In a stark contrast with recent years, President Obama has done everything possible to reach across the aisle and build bipartisan support for solutions to address the challenges we face. These hard economic times have forced us as a nation to assume new responsibilities at the Federal level. Because of the overwhelming nature of this crisis, we are now discussing issues like comprehensive health reform to make sure that everyone has affordable care that meets their needs, and expanding educational opportunities so that today’s students can be tomorrow’s leaders and developing innovative new technologies to keep our country competitive internationally. We are making an unprecedented investment in the production and use of renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels so that we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This development alone should be enough to start rekindling the flame of American innovation that fueled our economic growth during the 20th Century.
However, investments in technology alone will not turn our economy around. We must also invest in American workers and families to restore some of the economic security they have lost in recent years. We can take pride in the actions of this Congress and the leadership of President Obama to advance policies that will help those who are less fortunate and have been hit hardest by the downturn. We have already put into place a landmark, bipartisan SCHIP reauthorization and expansion to help millions of children in working families get the health care they need and deserve. In doing so, we overcame political hurdles of the past to enact beneficial reforms for the future. We will now focus on further reforming our nation’s health care system to tackle skyrocketing costs and help provide greater access to quality care.
Following President Obama’s lead, I am certain that the weeks, months, and years ahead will include spirited debates, but these are discussions we cannot, and should not shy away from. President Obama has rightly identified health care, tax reform and Social Security as priorities to ensure the long-term fiscal health of our nation, and Congress is ready to deliver. As we move forward, we must embrace President Obama’s call for bipartisanship, for the American people are looking for their government to come together to serve the nation and its needs. Addressing these challenges takes time and leadership, but the cost of inaction is simply too great to let politics get in the way of progress."
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