Local lawmakers are reacting to President Obama’s State of the Union address. The president spoke about bringing troops home and strengthening the economy, among other topics.
“Nothing I am proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime,” the president said Tuesday night. “It is not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad based growth.”
Democratic senator Carl Levin called the speech powerful and effective in a statement.
“He called on us to put the nation’s interest before partisan interest in order to avoid the damaging automatic spending cuts that are scheduled to take effect in just a few weeks,” Levin said. “I applaud his call for a bipartisan, balanced approach that avoids the damage those cuts would do to our national security and important priorities here at home such as education and health care.”
On the other side of the aisle, Republican congressman Fred Upton of St. Joseph said in a statement that it’s important for our country to start operating more efficiently.
“Further, we owe it to our children and grandchildren to get our nation back on track to a balanced budget,” Upton said. ” It is time for a renewed era of fiscal responsibility that breaks from the historic deficits of years past.
Republican congressman Tim Walberg of the seventh district said he was disappointed that the president continues to call for more spending.
“We need to build a healthy economy to help hardworking taxpayers by making government live within its means and pursuing tax reform to encourage small business job creation and bring jobs back to America,” Walberg said in a statement.
