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Senator Klobuchar Statement on the State of the Union

January 28, 2008

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement responding to the president’s State of the Union address Monday.

“Last year we made a down payment on change – we passed the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate, raised the minimum wage, increased access to student loans, implemented the 9/11 recommendations, passed a comprehensive energy bill, including a requirement for more fuel efficient cars and trucks, and we are now on the way to a Farm Bill that will propel our rural economy forward,” said Klobuchar.

“In the President’s final year, I am going to continue to fight for change for the middle class by looking for common ground so that we can seize opportunities and find real solutions to the challenges ahead for Minnesota’s families.  Some would wait for a new President, but I don’t think we can afford to do that.  I came to Washington to get things done.”

Klobuchar’s full response to the State of the Union is below.  To access the radio actuality of the text, click here:

Tonight’s State of the Union marks a year remaining in this President’s term.  What is the State of the Union?  Well, it is very challenging for many people in our state. Across America, middle class families see challenges in their everyday lives.  They see it every time they pay their kid’s college tuition.  They see it every time they pay a medical bill.  They see it every time they pull up to the pump and put gas in their car.  They see it every time a young soldier is sent to Iraq.

Last year we made a down payment on change – we passed the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate, raised the minimum wage, increased access to student loans, implemented the 9/11 recommendations, passed a comprehensive energy bill, including a requirement for more fuel efficient cars and trucks, and we are now on the way to a Farm Bill that will propel our rural economy forward.

I don’t agree with a lot of this President’s policies.  I think they’ve caused damage to our economy, our fiscal condition, and our foreign policy.  But in the President’s final year, I am going to continue to fight for change for the middle class by looking for common ground so that we can seize opportunities and find real solutions to the challenges ahead for Minnesota’s families.  Some would wait for a new President, but I don’t think we can afford to do that.  I came to Washington to get things done.

One of those areas of common ground must be the economy. We must act quickly for short-term relief – but we must also have a comprehensive long-term strategy that will produce good jobs and sustainable economic development that will be felt long after the rebate checks are spent.

I believe increased investment in homegrown energy such as wind turbines, solar energy and biofuels, including cellulosic ethanol is a perfect example of how we can grow our economy for the long-term.  In Minnesota, we’ve already seen how these new technologies can create new jobs, build rural economies, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and combat climate change.  We must build upon that success.

I am honored to have General Shellito, head of Minnesota’s National Guard, as my guest here for the State of the Union tonight.  I believe the bipartisan work we did to support our returning troops, including the Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program, is a model for how we can work together to find common ground on health care, the economy, helping the middle class, and more.

I will continue to push for policies that will bring our troops home from Iraq in a timely and responsible way.  At the same time, no matter where people are on this war, we must wrap our arms around our troops when they return.  Our promises to our soldiers shouldn’t be wrapped in red tape and we must deliver on their benefits.  Our groundbreaking work on Beyond the Yellow Ribbon is just one way to accomplish this.  There was no line when these men and women signed up to serve and there shouldn’t be one when they return. 

Tonight, on this State of the Union, we all know the challenges we face as a country…about the health and well being of our nation and its people.   Tomorrow, we must turn our shared ideas into action, building upon that down payment on change, and continue to deliver change that matters in the lives of each and every American. 

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