Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement following President Obama’s State of the Union address:
“Tonight, President Obama laid out a firm and positive agenda to address our nation’s many serious challenges in the year ahead: a struggling economy, two wars, rising health insurance costs, and so much more.
“I’ve heard from so many Rhode Islanders who are still struggling to make ends meet. Tonight, I hope families in our Ocean State will take some comfort in knowing that our President’s top priority for 2010 will be putting the American people back to work.
“We started the process last year of fixing the mess President Obama inherited with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which helped stabilize state and local budgets and prevented layoffs of teachers, police officers, and other municipal employees. It has also been particularly helpful to local business owners such as Enrico DiGregorio, my guest for tonight’s speech. Enrico owns a contracting business in Smithfield, and has been able to hire 35 people for jobs funded by the Recovery Act. We need to make sure Rhode Island has more success stories like Enrico’s in 2010, and I’m confident that the plan President Obama outlined tonight will move us in the right direction.
“I was also encouraged to hear the President reaffirm his commitment to passing meaningful health care reform, addressing global warming, investing in clean energy, and helping to make college more affordable for middle class families. These goals are essential to our country’s long term economic stability, and I hope our nation can address all of these issues in the coming months and years.
“President Obama tonight gave us hope for better days ahead and a blueprint for renewed American prosperity. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to provide quick relief to struggling Rhode Islanders.”
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