"Tonight, President Obama had the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and show the American people that he heard their message loud and clear. However, he failed to do that. Instead of changing course and taking divisive issues such as his health-care plan and his cap-and-tax plan off the table, he reiterated his support for the same partisan policies that has stoked the ire of families and small businesses across the country.”

— Republican Rep. John Sullivan

"While freezing spending is a good idea, given the unprecedented explosion of federal spending the Democrats have instituted during the last year, what he is offering seems more like a budgetary bait-and-switch that does not address our nation’s fiscal problem."

— Oklahoma Republican Rep. Jim Inhofe

"I am pleased to see the president focusing on the economy and creating jobs. The announced spending freeze is also a positive first step toward reining in government spending.”

— Democratic Rep. Dan Boren

"The president has a long way to go from here. Many Americans are still waiting for the ‘hope and change’ he promised during his campaign, and most of his supporters are still waiting for him to accomplish a single one of his big-agenda items.”

— Republican Rep. Frank Lucas

"The agenda President Obama outlined tonight essentially promises more of the same: more spending, more burdens on American businesses, and more symbolic measures that do nothing to provide real solutions to the challenges we face.”

— Republican Rep. Tom Cole

"I am glad the president focused his remarks on jobs and the economy, but I think Americans would agree he is about 12 months too late. For the past year, Americans have clearly asked this administration to focus on these two issues, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears.”

— Republican Rep. Mary Fallin

"Calling on only one party to reform itself is not leadership; it is partisanship no matter how calmly the argument is presented. The challenges the president inherited were not the product of George Bush but a long legacy of complex challenges beginning with the New Deal, Great Society and Republican complicity in growing the size and scope of government.

— Republican Sen. Tom Coburn

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