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Washington, Jan 25 - Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) made the following statement regarding the President’s State of the Union Address:

“The most important issue facing our country is creating broad-based economic opportunity for every American. Returning our society to a place where every American has an equal chance to succeed has been slow, and there is much more to be done.

“The President outlined steps we must take to continue moving forward. By focusing on bringing jobs back to America through tax breaks to companies that keep them here, investing in community colleges to train and prepare our workforce with skills needed to compete in a 21st century global economy, by making higher education more accessible and affordable for anyone who wants to attend, and by monitoring unfair trade practices that ensure American workers and our products compete fairly within the global marketplace, we can do what is necessary to get our economy back on track.

“The Administration has also put together a significant string of foreign policy successes, including the death of Osama bin Laden, the elimination of much of al Qaeda's leadership, the end of the war in Iraq and by supporting the people of the Middle East and North Africa in their pursuit of a more representative government. Most recently, the President laid out a strategy to enable the United States to build on those successes and confront the threats of today and of the future, wherever they may emerge.

“There is still much work to do. Too many people working hard, being responsible and playing by the rules only to realize that opportunities that once existed are no longer there. I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues in Congress to support initiatives and policies that level the playing field, rebuild our economy and prepare us to meet the challenges of the future."