FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, January 25, 2011

KEATING REACTS TO STATE OF THE UNION

Washington, DC – Tonight, President Obama delivered his second State of the Union address.  A response statement from Rep. Bill Keating, the newest Member of the Massachusetts delegation, follows.

Over the past two years, I believe President Obama took the necessary and difficult steps to curtail the downward spiral experienced in every industry and by every person.  Tonight’s speech, however, showed a President whose focus was no longer on triage, but instead on long-term, permanent rehabilitation.  And this proposed rehabilitation will not just be of our economy, but of the American mindset.

I, along with a majority of my constituents, want the focus to be on jobs and the deficit.  Yet, this is not a simple numbers problem.  It’s not just about how much we spend.  If we do not increase opportunity – in jobs, in education – this country’s days of being an economic superpower are numbered.  Our country is being eclipsed by other countries that are making the important investments that create opportunity.  Yes, the government needs to spend responsibly, but it also needs to spend wisely. 

That is why I found the President’s blueprint for “winning the future” so inspiring.  For the past few decades, we have become complacent and have rested on our past laurels.  That simply doesn’t cut it anymore, and Americans need to be inspired again to achieve not just accept, to succeed not just survive.  We need to encourage innovation, to reinvent our industries and to rebuild our infrastructure.  In my district, our aging bridges, roadways and seawalls are in desperate need of improvement.  I agree with the President that instead of supporting programs simply because we always have, we need to create programs that reward meaningful improvements and incentivize others to raise their standards.  

My district must also protect our unique ecosystem, and we can do this by supporting new, green technologies.  Massachusetts is an environmentally diverse state, and by tapping into the resources we have in our state’s esteemed universities, Massachusetts can become a leader – a hub - of clean technology.  

President Obama began his speech by stating that our vibrant political debate sets us apart as a Nation.  I believe it is now time to let this new wave of investment and opportunity be what sets us apart.