Wisconsin Voices Respond To Pres. Obama State of Union
WISCONSINREPORT.COM (01/22/2015) – Several Wisconsin voices have responded to points made by President Barack Obama in the 2015 State of The Union Address this week. Some are favorable. Some are not.
College Democrats of Wisconsin (CDW) Chair Zach Madden applauds President Obama for what Madden calls, “his vision of affordable higher education”.
“We ask our members of Congress to put aside partisan differences to pass the President’s plan for free community college,” Madden says.
“We also call on Gov. Walker to finally address Wisconsin’s student debt crisis by supporting meaningful student loan reform. Both Democrats and Republicans on campuses across the state are struggling under mountains of debt. It is time for Wisconsin Republicans to take on the President’s call to action and finally partner with Democrats in making college affordable,” CDW Chair Zach Madden added.
What does Governor Scott Walker have to say in his reaction to President Obama’s State of the Union Speech?
“President Obama’s top-down, government-knows-best philosophy is not working and it is holding America back from reaching its true potential,” Governor Walker says.
“While Washington stands at an impasse, Americans are increasingly turning to state leaders for answers because we are pushing big, bold reforms,” Governor Walker said.
“Our American revival is not going to be led by a lame duck president who would rather pick fights with Congress,” Walker said. “It will be led by reformers who know how to get things done,” Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker concluded.
On the other hand, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate says President Obama is showing what real leadership looks like, laying out his vision for our country that is centered on expanding opportunity for everyone and growing a strong middle class.
“The President’s message of equal opportunity and his proposals to make community college free for everyone willing to work hard for it, extend sick leave to working families, make quality childcare more affordable, and make the tax code work for the middle class by requiring that everyone pay their fair share, stand in clear contrast to Republicans like Scott Walker who want to go back to the same failed, trickle-down economic policies that have never worked,” Tate said.
“Scott Walker and his Republican Party continue to show they have no new ideas and will fight tooth and nail to impede progress on policies that actually benefit middle class families,” Tate continued.
“While Walker scrambles around the country courting donors and right-wing support for a backwards agenda, Democrats will follow President Obama’s lead in supporting policies that will grow our economy and strengthen the middle class,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate added.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Joe Fadness has a different take on President Obama’s State of the Union Address:
“What we heard tonight from President Obama was the same divisive rhetoric that voters overwhelmingly rejected in the November elections. Instead of offering new ideas to help grow our economy and put more people to work, the President pushed higher taxes and suffocating regulations that hurt families and small business owners. Even worse, he continues to desperately blame anyone but himself for his failed agenda, and America deserves better,” Fadness said.
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) is hoping Congress can find some common ground and focus on the priorities that matter to Americans. Among them Kind includes, investing in job growth, simplifying the tax code, and helping families afford higher education.
“During this time of economic growth, Congress has a unique opportunity to work with the President on long-term strategies to create jobs without having to deal with multiple crises like we did during the Great Recession,” U.S. Representative Kind suggests.
“Let’s work across the aisle to bring Wisconsin commonsense values to Washington, be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and partner with the private sector to create jobs and strengthen the middle class,” Representative Kind said.
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) holds up the idea of attaining common ground by the President and Republicans as necessary for cooperation between the two on getting something done during the next couple of years:
“I was glad to hear the President ask Congress to pass trade-promotion authority. We simply can’t get the best trade agreements for the American people without it. Now the President needs to follow through. He needs to convince his party to vote for TPA, and soon,” Paul Ryan said.
“At the same time, I found the President’s tax proposals to be misguided. A $320 billion tax hike is the last thing we need. What we really need is to make our tax code simpler, flatter, and fairer, so we can create more jobs,” Ryan said.
“The American people deserve real solutions. House Republicans are going to do all we can to build a healthy economy for working families. There’s a lot we can accomplish in the next two years, and we’re ready to work with the President to find common ground,” said Representative Paul Ryan.
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