Scott on Obama SOTU: Rhetoric Without Action

After , Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) made it to the State of the Union address, but seemed to find what he expected from President Barack Obama's speech.

"The president gave an incredibly similar speech this year," Scott said in comments released following the address. "Unfortunately rhetoric only lasts so long without action. Twenty-seven bi-partisan House bills wait in the Senate collecting dust."

Scott was also critical of the president's rejection of the Keystone Pipeline and new federal initiatives. Obama proposed increased tax assistance for homeowners and a job-training focus for community colleges and the unemployed.

"America is about lifting every single one of us up, creating equal opportunities for success for everyone," Scott said. "Government's goal shouldn't be to bring everyone to the middle; it should be to get out of the way so that everyone can achieve success."

Scott told a Tea Party crowd last week that . "People like 80 percent of what he says, but they hate 90 percent of what he does," Scott said, referring to President Obama.

Suggesting that he wouldn't attend the event was likely welcome news to the Tea Party crowd, but may have offered more heartburn than the House leadership could handle.

On Monday, , stationed in Alexandria, Va., but that his absence wouldn't be in protest to Obama.

Tuesday night, Scott tweeted from the crowd at the State of the Union and offered his comments afterward. His office followed up later, telling Patch that Scott had dinner with his brother and was able to make it the State of the Union after all.

Scott's complete statement:

"Tonight the President talked about rebuilding an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded, which is something we can all agree on. Last year his State of the Union address talked about reducing government regulations and lowering corporate tax rates – two great ways to achieve that goal. I have introduced legislation, the Rising Tides Act, to lower the corporate tax rate to 23 percent, and my colleagues and I in the House have passed multiple bills protecting American jobs from overreaching regulations.

"The President gave an incredibly similar speech this year. Unfortunately, rhetoric only lasts so long without action.  Twenty-seven bi-partisan House bills wait in the Senate collecting dust. The Keystone Pipeline, which creates up to 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs, now sits in limbo after the President refused to approve it. And tonight he proposed even more new government programs and more new taxes, as if growing government is the answer to our ills.

"America is about lifting every single one of us up, creating equal opportunities for success for everyone. Big government simply cannot accomplish this. Government’s goal shouldn’t be to bring everyone to the middle; it should be to get out of the way so that everyone can achieve success.

"I sincerely hope we can have a productive conversation about America's future in the coming months. We are on the same page on some important areas – for example lowering the tax burdens on our small businesses, eliminating tax loopholes, and providing opportunities for our veterans. We all can agree the potential and resolve of Americans is unmatched anywhere in the world. The time for rhetoric is no longer, it is time to act."