I welcome the President's emphasis tonight on rebuilding our economy, and I am pleased that the administration appears ready to act on an initiative we proposed last fall to help responsible small business owners access the credit they need to survive and grow.
I had hoped for a more robust approach tonight to addressing our long-term budget deficits, and I continue to be extremely disappointed in the Senate's unwillingness this week to support a bipartisan fiscal commission to address needed budget and entitlement reform.
As our economy continues to demonstrate promising signs of recovery, we must work together to adopt policies that promote innovation and boost America's long-term economic competitiveness. I will continue to work with my colleagues to move forward in a productive and bipartisan way to address these challenges.
Rep. Tom Perriello:
Tonight, I heard our President talk about jobs. I heard our Governor talk about jobs. I won’t stop until we turn this talk into real action and results for working families.
A year ago, we took dramatic steps to stop the bleeding and we’re starting to see the signs of recovery. Now we must be the change we promised by getting lending going to our small businesses, investing in our transportation infrastructure, and educating our workforce. It’s time to change our economic strategy from speculation on Wall Street to job creation on Main Street.
America can out-compete any country in the world if we reward innovation instead of failure, get our fiscal house in order, and restore the promise of the middle class.
UPDATE: DPVA chair Dick Cranwell issued the following statement.
As an American, I was proud tonight to watch President Obama lay out a positive vision for our future and spell out his action plan to create jobs. And, as a Virginian, I was proud to see our Commonwealth represented again tonight, for the third time in the last five State of the Union responses.
However, I question the wisdom of Governor McDonnell's decision to deliver this intensely political speech tonight, when he hasn't even managed to submit a budget plan in Richmond.
Bob McDonnell ran as a governor who would provide leadership for Virginia's economy and transportation. But he has punted on transportation and become the first incoming governor in modern Virginia history to fail to put his stamp on the budget.
Bob McDonnell ran as a bipartisan leader for Virginia. But when Washington Republicans came calling, he delivered a political speech in the people's chamber of the oldest legislature in the Western Hemisphere.
Instead of engaging in more Washington politics, Bob McDonnell ought to be devoting his time and his talents to telling us what he's going to do to fix Virginia's $4 billion budget shortfall. It's time for Governor McDonnell to get back to taking care of business for the people of Virginia, instead of for the Republicans in Washington.
Tonight, Bob McDonnell said Americans "want government leaders to listen and act on the issues most important to them."
I couldn't agree more. Now, it's time for Governor McDonnell to start acting.
UPDATE: Jim Webb had brief comments, a call for bipartisanship (good luck with that, given the "Party of No" proudly says it wants Democrats to "fail").
The overriding objective of the President and the Congress over the next year must be to offer the kind of leadership that regains the confidence of the American people in our system, in our deliberative process, and above all in our leaders. With that in mind, my colleagues on both sides of the aisle should work ever harder to approach the issues that face us with less partisan maneuvering and a more genuine commitment to resolving the truly daunting challenges that now face working Americans.
