3 Mo. lawmakers’ SOTU responses to consider

Everybody has a take on President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address. Here are responses from three Missouri officials who were in the House Chamber last night.

First, watch the full SOTU video or read the president’s prepared transcript.

 
Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., the 7th Congressional District
“The best part of tonight’s State of the Union was when the president was entering the chamber and I reminded him of the devastating floods we’ve had in Missouri. When I asked for his help, he said that he was just talking with Sen. [Roy] Blunt about that. When Sen. Blunt walked up shortly thereafter, I verified the president and the senator had indeed spoken about the floods.

“Other than speaking to the president and asking for his help, the speech was not inspiring from where I sat. Instead of delivering an actual account of the state of the union, we were treated to a campaign speech. The president said he didn’t like partisan politics while delivering a very partisan speech. Not mentioning ISIS until late, and never mentioning the 10 sailors that were taken captive by Iran today was shocking.”

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
“The president reminded Americans we have a lot to be proud of, putting Americans back to work and building a stronger economy that’s the envy of our allies. But he also reminded us that it’s not enough. We’ve got work to do to raise family incomes, tackle the costs of college debt and prescription drugs, combat drug addiction and make government more accountable to its people. So let’s surprise Americans who are rightfully skeptical of this Congress, let’s skip the typical canned reactions and empty criticisms of this president, and let’s instead roll up our sleeves, rediscover compromise and work together to achieve concrete results for those who sent us here.”

Click here to watch a CBS interview with McCaskill following the speech.

 
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. [issued ahead of the address]
“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.”