Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Lucas today issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s sixth State of the Union address.

“Once again, President Obama focused his State of the Union address on the nation’s sluggish economy and unemployment problems,” said Lucas. “He made these same issues the focal point in previous speeches; however Americans have yet to see him produce a plan that puts the jobless back to work and boosts the economy. This time, I hope the president will actually fulfill the promises he made to the American people in his speech tonight.

“In order for the president to move forward and create economic certainty, he must make reducing government spending his top priority. Our national debt stands at an outstanding $17.3 trillion and is increasing at an average of $2.5 billion per day. Since the president took office in 2009, the debt has increased by more than $6 trillion, and Americans have continuously expressed their concerns with the country’s out of control spending. The president must realize the federal government has a spending problem, and he must work with Congress to make significant cuts to help address the U.S. debt crises.

“In addition, the president must quit ignoring the many opportunities we have to create jobs in America. For instance, he has failed to approve of the northern leg of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which has the potential to produce tens of thousands of jobs in our country. In the House, we have voted seven separate times to move forward with construction; however, the president and Senate have refused to act on this shovel-ready project. We have also passed dozens of other jobs bills in the House that the Senate has failed to consider. We remain ready to work with the president and Senate colleagues to find middle ground and pass legislation that will kick-start jobs in the U.S. 

“The president has stated that he wants to make this a ‘year of action,’ however, he must realize using executive action and bypassing Congress is not the way to make this a reality. It is crucial that he works with us to find ways to create certainty for Americans and get our economy back on the right path. As the Congressman representing Oklahoma’s Third Congressional District, I look forward to working with the president and leaders of Congress to help accomplish these important goals.”

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