Congresswoman Matsui Statement on the President's State of the Union Address

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 28, 2014

CONTACT: JONELLE TRIMMER
(202) 225-7163

Congresswoman Matsui Statement on the President's State of the Union Address

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06) released the following statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union address:

"In his State of the Union address this evening, President Obama laid out a vision to further the progress our nation has made by expanding economic opportunity for all Americans, growing our economy from the middle out, and investing in our country. This blueprint for economic growth and sustainabilty will help ensure our nation lives up to its potential, and creates an environment where all families have the chance to be successful.

"I share the President's belief that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should have the opportunity to succeed. We must make creating jobs a top priority. We must do what we can to help the unemployed secure well-paying jobs that will allow them to take care of their families. We must ensure our workforce is prepared for both the jobs of today, and the jobs of tomorrow, through education and job training. And we also must ensure all women have the tools they need to be successful in the workforce, including fair and equal pay, a better work-family balance, and affordable child care. Because as we know, and as the President said in his speech, when women succeed, America succeeds.

"As part of this workforce investment, the President announced that he will be using his executive authority to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for federal contract workers. This is an important step and is symbolic of the President's commitment. Now, it is up to Congress to show a similar commitment and pass legislation increasing the minimum wage for all Americans.

"Part of expanding economic opportunity is ensuring financial security for our seniors and retired workers. For far too many hard working Americans, retirement is an idea that is out of reach. We must do our part to ensure that seniors who have worked hard and paid into the system are able to enjoy a safe and secure retirement. To that end, I support the President's new retirement savings plan for workers whose employers may not offer such plans. We also must continue to strengthen and protect Social Security and Medicare for the millions of seniors who rely on it.

"There are areas of common ground between Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and I share the President's belief that we must seize on these commonalities to pass legislation that matters to the American public. Earlier this year, Members of both parties worked together to pass a bipartisan budget deal. We must come together to do the same on issues such as comprehensive immigration reform, transportation, and infrastructure. This effort must start with the immediate passage of a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that provides congressional authorization of the Natomas Levee Improvement Project. The people of Sacramento have waited long enough; the time to act is now.

"We have made great strides in the last several years. We have created jobs and strengthened the economy. We have passed legislation ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health insurance. America continues to be the land of opportunity; however we must ensure that these opportunities are accessible to all Americans. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and with President Obama and his Administration, to expand economic opportunity for all Americans."

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