Cole Responds to President Obama’s Final State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) responded after President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union address to Congress tonight in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Throughout his tumultuous and controversial tenure, President Barack Obama has wasted time, words and energy claiming that America’s challenges are not of his making,” said Cole. “Rather than leading the charge to solve the real problems facing our fellow Americans, the president has greatly increased our long-term economic woes, severely underestimated and failed to address threats to our security and ignored constitutional limits to the powers entrusted to the executive branch of government.

“Sadly, what we heard tonight was only more of the same. But what concerned me most was what we didn’t hear from him. I wish the president would have talked about actual ways he wants to find common ground—like proposing a balanced budget, offering a more comprehensive strategy for defeating ISIL and finding ways to immediately jumpstart the economy to have faster job and wage growth.

“Despite his claims to the contrary, the president has consistently shown that he is more interested in advancing policies—like Obamacare—that add to our massive debt, instead of coming up with reforms to pay it down. Even more alarming is the president’s claim of foreign policy leadership when his clear lack of resolve and understanding of the world have undisputedly weakened America’s standing among our allies and enemies alike.

“After seven long years, the sun is about to set on his administration, and yet the president’s speech indicates that he is frantically trying to rewrite history in order to salvage a legacy that history is not likely to treat favorably,” concluded Cole.

###

Contact:Sarah Corley (202) 225-6165