Moving in the Right Direction

In his State of the Union address, President Obama was quick to tout his economic record and suggest those who raise concerns with the status of the economy are “peddling fiction.” It’s true that we’ve made progress in recent years, but it’s also important to remember that we’re not out of the woods yet. Not by a long shot. In fact:
  

• More than 6 million individuals with part-time jobs want and need full-time work;
   
• The workforce participation rate hovers near record lows;
   
• Health care costs are going up;
   
• Household incomes remain largely flat;
   
• More than 46 million Americans are living in poverty;
   
• Economic growth is anemic.

 
As the Wall Street Journal noted:
 

Recessions always end and deep ones usually rebound faster and higher. The test of economic policy is the pace and quality of the recovery, and this one has been the slowest since World War II.
 

Fortunately, the president acknowledges there is work to be done. Unfortunately, he and his Democratic allies continue to promote policies that are making things worse, supporting big-government schemes that will:
 

• Make it harder for low- and middle-income families to save for retirement;
   
• Limit economic mobility and flexibility for workers;
   
• Jeopardize worker rights and stifle employer free speech; and
   
• Threaten the livelihoods of small business owners.

 
House Republicans prefer a different approach – one that will help grow the economy and provide the opportunity for success every American deserves. That’s why we are working on solutions that will:
 

• Strengthen the retirement security of working families;
   
• Protect the rights of workers and job creators;
   
• Pave the way to a patient-centered health care system; and
   
• Allow small businesses and entrepreneurs to grow and succeed.

 
As Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) said after the president’s address:
 

The American people know we can do better, and that our best days are ahead if we place more faith in them and less faith in Washington … We have shown what’s possible when we work together on behalf of the people we are elected to serve. I urge the president to join us as we work to help all Americans achieve the prosperity they deserve.

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