Paul Ryan: SOTU Statement

Press release from Paul Ryan:

Following President Obama’s State of the Union address, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin issued the following statement:

“In tonight’s speech, President Obama missed an opportunity to lead. Instead of putting forward bold solutions to tackle our most pressing challenges, the President offered more empty promises and recycled the same failed policies. Instead of charting a new course for renewed opportunity, the President recommitted to the path to debt, doubt and decline. Instead of working together to find common ground, the President continues to exploit the real anxieties of hard-working families by dividing Americans for political gain. Pitting Americans against each other makes us weaker, not stronger.

“The President stated his desire to ‘fight obstruction with action,’ yet his own party’s leaders in the U.S. Senate have failed to even propose a budget despite our looming fiscal crisis. In fact, today marks 1,000 days without a budget from Senate Democrats – a legal and moral failure by elected leaders. The economic and fiscal challenges before us require credible budget plans, and the President and his party’s leaders refuse to account for their reckless spending spree. The speech offered little more than a laundry list of proposals to spend money we don't have without any serious solutions to dig us out of the hole we're in. I invite the President and his party’s leaders to join our efforts to advance bipartisan solutions and principled reforms. I’m proud to work across the aisle on reforms that save and strengthen Medicare and repair the broken budget process. It is disappointing that the President continues to isolate himself from these efforts with false partisan attacks.

“The President rightly highlighted the need for a ‘renewal of American values.’ Yet the results of his failed policies and divisive rhetoric do just the opposite. Centralizing more power in Washington is antithetical to the American Idea, which promotes economic freedom and upward mobility for each and every citizen. It is critical we work together to advance a reform agenda that applies our timeless principles to the challenges of today.”