Gallegly Responds to State of the Union Address

Moorpark's Congressional representatitve, Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura and Santa Barbara counties), issued a statement following President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday evening in which the Congressman attacked the president's policies.

Obama told the country "The state of our Union is getting stronger," and said it will continue to do so if, among other things, we bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States, invest in education and extend tuition tax credits, give illegal immigrant students a path to citizenship, expand tax relief to small businesses, continue federal investment in research, set a clean energy standard and spend half the money the country will no longer be spending on war to build infrastructure here.

But behind a mantra of "There is a better way," Gallegly said Obama's "policies to expand the federal government, increase taxes and increase federal spending" have failed, and he claimed, instead, "The growth we need will come from small business start-ups. Through tax reform and regulatory reform we can grow this economy."

Following is Gallegly's statement. To see a video of the president's speech, click the link above or go here to see a transcript of it.

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties), issued the following statement after President Obama’s State of the Union speech this evening:

“President Obama’s State of the Union speech tonight is a continuation of his failed policies to expand the federal government, increase taxes and increase federal spending.

“There is a better way.

“President Obama tried to solve the economic crisis with his $1 trillion stimulus bill. The plan was a bust – leaving Americans with 600,000 fewer jobs than when the stimulus was enacted, and an unemployment rate stuck above 8 percent for a record-breaking 35 consecutive months. 

“President Obama’s policies to expand the federal government have racked up more job-killing debt than was created between the presidencies of George Washington and George H.W. Bush and is now greater than our economic output. 

“President Obama has repeatedly tried to raise taxes to pay for his big-government priorities. He talks about fairness. The top 1 percent of earners paid 37 percent of federal income taxes in 2009. The top 10 percent paid more than 70 percent of the federal income taxes. What is the fair amount? One hundred percent?

“There is a better way.

“During the Reagan years, after having suffered a deep recession, this country was creating 300,000 to 400,000 new jobs each month – not 150,000 jobs.

“The growth we need will come from small business start-ups. Through tax reform and regulatory reform we can grow this economy.

“The House has passed 27 job-related bills that are sitting in the Senate awaiting Majority Leader Harry Reid’s action. They include bills that would provide regulatory relief and open capital to small businesses – and extend the payroll tax rates the president called for this evening.

“As we have seen in the past three years, big government, more federal spending and higher taxes are job killers. For the state of our union, the president needs to change course.”