Washington, D.C.--The following is a statement from Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech, delivered to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, January 27, 2010.

“President Obama was right on the mark tonight with his focus on the plight of the American working family. I believe that it needs to be the joint goal of Congress and the President, Democrats and Republicans, to make improving the lives of our working families the highest priority for 2010 and beyond.

“This President inherited an unemployment crisis and an out-of-control debt which required fast action. USA Today recently ran a story indicating that without the Recovery Act, unemployment would have gone up to 10.8 percent by now. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the Recovery Act is already responsible for as many as 2.4 million jobs saved or created through the end of 2009, including over 140,000 in New York State alone. The economy is in better shape than it was a year ago, and that is an accomplishment of this President and this Congress. However, there are still too many fellow Americans without jobs.

“It was encouraging to hear him renew his commitment to a long-term economic strategy for America to invest in green jobs, clean energy, infrastructure improvements and the training of a globally competitive workforce for generations to come. American families, while working harder over the years, and have been falling further behind. The cost of living continues to go up, while the standard of living has lagged behind. This must be the focus of this President and of this Congress in the months and years ahead.

“I agree with the President that we must begin with making things easier for small businesses to start hiring more people and making the economic atmosphere easier for them to thrive. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and strengthening them is paramount to recovery. Small businesses are where the majority of jobs are created, and Americans need opportunities to go back to work immediately.

“I was also pleased to hear the President make perfectly clear that health care remains an urgent priority. Despite the setbacks from the past year and the procedural realities in the Senate, it remains clear that we must act on substantial health care insurance reform as soon as possible. Doing so will not only cover our uninsured, but it will better cover our underinsured population, and ensure that those who are currently satisfied with their coverage will be able to afford insurance in the years to come. We are close to achieving this goal – one which will substantially reduce our federal debt– and failure is not an option.

“The President made an important commitment tonight to bring about a repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. Along with 75 of my House colleagues, I wrote to President Obama back in June 2009 to direct the Defense Department to immediately suspend the policy and work for its repeal. I have the highest regard for the United States armed forces, but I believe all Americans should be allowed to serve in the military regardless of their sexual orientation. While "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" may have opened some doors when it was first established in 1993, today it is an anachronism reminding us of the discrimination which members of the LGBT community continue to face everyday in our country.

“The President talked about the progress made in the two wars and the improvements with our allies and overall standing in the world. There are many challenges facing us, and dangerous enemies seeking to do our people harm. We must take the fight to Al Qaeda, but we cannot bog ourselves down in endless wars. Let us set benchmarks to determine if we are making progress and work towards achieving them. We cannot let Afghanistan become another Vietnam. I am old enough to remember that war, and I hope our nation is wise enough not to repeat those mistakes.

“The Administration’s response to the tragedy in Haiti has been a prime example of how this President has improved our standing in the world. America has been a leader in helping our friends from Haiti recover from that devastating earthquake. As the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and as the Congressman for thousands of Haitian-Americans, I thank him for his leadership. I also urge him to continue helping Haitians reunite with loved ones and in turn rebuild their nation and finally find stability which has long escaped them.

“President Obama expressed his desire for Republicans and Democrats to work together for the changes our country requires. I applaud that sentiment and look forward to my Republican colleagues’ input on ways to improve the economy. I sincerely hope they back away from their policy of the past year, which was one of seeking to obstruct and be the Party of No. To work in a bipartisan fashion, one must be willing to provide the votes to pass legislation. In order to play ball, you must be willing to take the field. I hope both sides heed the call of the President and work side-by-side on behalf of the hard-working Americans who are calling out for such a change.

“Tonight we heard from the hopeful Barack Obama who connected with the American people during the campaign in 2008. As a result, I am encouraged that 2010 will be a very productive year for our country and our people. I plan to join with the President to continue working on behalf of the American people and bring about the changes they want and need.”