The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee’s Senior Republican, Minnesota Rep. John Kline, issued the following statement this evening on President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address:
On education reform…
"There is no doubt we need to reform our federal education laws, and Republicans are anxious to enact policies that empower parents, teachers, and communities to provide a quality education for all our nation’s students.
“The President and Education Secretary Duncan have indicated a surprising willingness to take on the education special interests. For too long, unions and advocacy groups have stood in the way of meaningful reform. I am ready to stand alongside this Administration in their efforts to loosen the grip of special interests on our schools and put parents and communities back in control of education.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to higher education, the President is offering more of the same one-size-fits-all government expansion the American people have already rejected. The proposal to drive the private sector out of student lending is only made worse by an expanded plan to force taxpayers to fund special benefits for government workers and absorb the balance of unpaid student loans. Making the federal government responsible for a larger share of student debt is likely to do nothing more than exacerbate high college costs.”
On health care reform…
“The American people have spoken: a government takeover of our health care system will not be tolerated. No matter how Washington Democrats dress it up, boil it down, or break it apart, any proposal that puts government bureaucrats in control of our health care system will be soundly rejected by the American people.
For months, I’ve been urging the President and Democrats in Congress to press the reset button on health care reform. It is time to heed Americans’ calls to stop negotiating behind closed doors with the special interests and broadcast these debates to the public on C-SPAN as the President promised on the campaign trail. Democrats are overdue for embracing commonsense solutions – like those offered by congressional Republicans – that will bring down costs and expand access to quality care at a price our nation can afford.”
On job creation…
“The President was right to talk about job creation, but a hard pivot in his rhetoric doesn’t resolve the economic turmoil facing our nation. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs, and one tenth of our nation’s workforce is unemployed. Yet the Administration has shown no sign of backing away from its policies of government expansion at the expense of our nation’s job creators.
“If the President is serious about job creation, it’s time to abandon the job-killing policies that loom as a constant threat to economic recovery. From a government takeover of health care to massive tax hikes on families and small businesses to the special interest payback known as card check, Democrats have advanced an agenda that breeds economic uncertainty at best and economic calamity at worst.”
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