Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Lucas today issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s third State of the Union address. This marks the last State of the Union speech the president will make to a joint session of Congress before the November 2012 election.

“Tonight President Obama focused his State of the Union address on the United States’ struggling economy,” said Lucas. “While I commend the president for addressing the serious issues facing our great country, I would hope he would make a strong effort to come to the table and execute a plan that will turn this ailing economy around and put many unemployed Americans back to work. 

“The President said he wants to ‘move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last’. In order to achieve this, the president must realize his reckless spending binge must stop. Since Obama took office in 2009, our national debt has increased by $4.6 trillion, putting us at a current deficit of over $15 trillion. Americans have been asking repeatedly for major cuts in federal spending. It is time for the president to work with Congress and make common-sense spending cuts. It is the only way we can dig ourselves out of the deficit disaster we are facing today. 

“Additionally, the president called for creation of new jobs in America. At a time when our unemployment rate stands at 8.5 percent, I also believe it is time to focus on job creation in our country. While the great state of Oklahoma has fared better than the rest of the nation, many other states are struggling to put Americans back to work. House Republicans have passed almost 30 bills to spur job creation in the U.S. If the President is serious about working together in Congress, the House remains ready to share ideas that will take thousands of Americans out of the unemployment lines and back to work.” 

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