DelBene Statement on President Obama’s 5th State of the Union

Editor's Note: The following is a statement from Congresswoman Suzan DelBene's office.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene released the following statement reacting to the President’s fifth State of the Union address to the nation: 

(On Tuesday night), the President laid out an agenda focused on creating jobs and building an economy that works for everyone.

Delivering results on this agenda with policies that reflect our shared values of fairness and equality is why I ran for Congress. So I am encouraged that the President shares my belief that strong economic growth is achieved when all working families have the opportunity to succeed. His focus on investments in education, basic research and infrastructure are priorities I share. He is right to push for bold initiatives to make America a global leader in clean energy and ensure we have a vibrant manufacturing sector. Making our nation a magnet for innovation and good jobs is critical to having a thriving middle-class.

I am encouraged by the President’s strong call for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Creating an earned path to citizenship for those here and working is a policy that makes economic sense and is the right thing to do. Reform must also support the workforce needs of our local employers, including long-term and seasonal agricultural workers, as well as highly trained technical workers. 

It is of critical importance that we address our nation’s fiscal problems with a balanced approach to reduce our long-term deficit and build the foundation for a growing economy. A balanced approach must include making federal spending more efficient and reforming our tax code. We must not balance our budget on the backs of seniors and working families. 

There’s a lot of work to do and I look forward to doing my part to move our economy forward. I hope that House leadership is willing to end the hyper-partisanship and brinksmanship that’s caused so much gridlock. We should focus instead on making progress on bipartisan solutions that will encourage innovation, create jobs and grow our economy. 

Democrat DelBene won the 1st Congressional District race in the Nov. 6 elections. Washington's 1st congressional district encompasses most of Whatcom, Skagit, and Snohomish counties, and nearly one-third of King County.