WASHINGTON — In a speech that included a declaration of “I don’t quit,” President Barack Obama elected to make job growth his top priority while also asking Congress to help the economy with new stimulus spending.
While Obama received a roaring ovation upon entering the House chamber, Republicans seemed glued to their seats while Democrats stood with applause over the course of his speech, which lasted just over an hour.
Most of the President’s address to Congress was dedicated to the financial worries of the country and included the restoration of job growth, reining in budget deficits and taming partisanship in Washington.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, said that while the he was happy with the President’s concern over the expanding federal deficit, the actions of Congressional Democrats have continued the trend of over-spending.
“The Majority spent nearly $800 billion in taxpayer dollars on a failed economic stimulus, and this week they will vote to raise the debt ceiling by $1.9 trillion,” Roberts said.
But, members of the Kansas Congressional delegation did recognize the need to help struggling Americans.
“Rather than passing sweeping mandates and massive expansions of the federal government, we should empower small businesses to hire more employees, ensure credit is flowing, and reduce the deficit so our children and grandchildren are not buried under a mountain of our debt,” said U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who represents the state’s 2nd District.
In addition, Obama vowed to reject any legislation that did not adhere to his demand for a three-year freeze on domestic spending.
“President Obama and Congress have an addiction to spending. I’m troubled by the token spending freezes that President Obama offered,” said U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, who represents Kansas’ 3rd District. “They won’t even start until 2011, last only three years and will not affect the more than $862 billion in stimulus funds still to be spent.
U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, of Kansas’ 4th District, said that there were other measures that need to be taken into consideration for fiscal restraint.
“If the president really wants to get serious about fiscal constraint, he should begin by working to repeal the so-called stimulus bill and end the TARP bailout program,” Tiahrt said. “Taxpayers deserve to get their money back from these big spending programs.”
Along with spending cuts, Obama also called for continued tax cuts for the middle class while ceasing those for “oil companies, investment fund managers, and those making over $250,000 a year,” stating that “we just can’t afford it.”
“The President’s suggestion of new tax cuts for the middle class and small businesses are interesting when the extension of critical bipartisan tax relief, set to expire this year, is still uncertain,” Roberts said. “His tax proposals to penalize Wall Street also lack reforms needed to ensure our economy isn’t driven into recession again by irresponsible lending.”
But, still, the President still pressed lawmakers to move forward with health care legislation.
“I think it is off message as to where the American people think we should be,” said U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, who sat through his final State of the Union address as a member of the Senate. “They want us to look at jobs and economic growth.”
He added that there has already been enough time spend on health care and that there were more pressing matters that the American public want Congress to address.
“We looked at this for the entire month of December,” Brownback said. “I thought that it was a really tone-deaf comment, especially in light of the Massachusetts election.”
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
Wellington, Kan. —
