Alert

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement today ahead of President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

“Tonight, the president is expected to deliver an address focused on burnishing his own legacy and bolstering his party’s campaign prospects. If he does so, it will only reinforce the out-of-touch attitude the American people have come to expect from this administration.

“Before the president takes his victory lap, he ought to consider this: The majority of Americans – a total of 70 percent – believe this country is on the wrong track, and with good reason. The middle class has shrunk to the point that it no longer constitutes a majority. Wages are stagnant, making it harder for working families to make ends meet. ObamaCare is driving premiums up by double digits in Missouri, and has forced millions of Americans off the health plans they liked and could afford. Small businesses are struggling to expand and hire new workers with the onslaught of red tape coming out of the Obama administration. New energy regulations threaten to double utility bills for Missourians by 2020. Terrorists continue to consolidate gains in the Middle East and spread their insidious ideology. And, the recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have reminded us all of the danger we face in our communities.

“Instead of working across the aisle to address these issues, the president has opted for a go-it-alone approach that has further divided the nation. His unilateral executive overreach has compromised the Constitutional rights of every American, without making us any safer. For a president who once touted his ‘pen and phone’ strategy, he seems to have all but forgotten the latter. Now is the time for the president to let go of his failed policies, move beyond his political agenda, and start talking about how we’re going to work together to solve real problems.

“We stand ready to work with the president on measures that would expand access to mental health, invest in groundbreaking medical research, implement a true all-of-the-above energy policy, honor our commitments to our service members and veterans, and provide our military commanders the tools and resources they need to help keep America safe. Senate Republicans have already begun making progress in these areas, and I urge the president to use the time he has left to work with us to address Americans’ top priorities.”