FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2011

Paulsen Reacts to the State of the Union Address
Appreciates Call for Bipartisanship, Stresses Need to Rein In Spending

Washington, D.C.– Representative Erik Paulsen (MN-03) issued the following statement this evening in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address:

“I appreciate President Obama’s call for bipartisanship; we need to work together as a country if we’re going to tackle this looming debt crisis and put this country back to work” said Paulsen.  “However, we must learn from past mistakes and realize that we can’t simply spend our way to prosperity.  Despite new government programs designed to stimulate our economy, Americans watched as our deficit, debt and unemployment rate skyrocketed over the past two years.”

“With Washington spending already at unsustainable levels, it’s essential that we get serious about reining in expenses” continued Rep. Paulsen. “Simply freezing spending at current levels, as the President suggests, does not go far enough. We should return to pre-bailout and pre-stimulus spending levels to prove we’re committed to getting rid of trillion dollar deficits. In the coming year, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to finally put this country on the path to fiscal responsibility.”

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation currently serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Korea-U.S. Free Trade Working Group and co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Rep. Paulsen’s work in Congress, please visit www.paulsen.house.gov.

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