Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (CA-45), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, released the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“The President’s speech certainly struck the right tone, but, in fairness, we need to see the specifics of his proposals before passing judgment.  When it comes to any White House budget, the devil is in the details.   Creating new jobs, investing in innovation, improving education and simplifying the tax code are all laudable goals.  But they have to be more than just applause lines.   Meeting these difficult challenges will require a lot of hard work, shared sacrifices and a new approach in Washington to solving problems.   We need to close the book on the era of big government.  It would be a serious mistake to ‘double down’ on past failures.

“The President is right about one thing: the world has changed.   And if we don’t do something soon to drive down the deficit, as well as the unemployment rolls, things are going to keep changing – for the worst.  Call me an optimist, but I still believe in the American spirit.  Through innovation and ingenuity, I believe we can grow our economy without bailouts or stimulus packages.   As the new Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, I will lay out my own plan this week for jumpstarting our economy.    The way forward is clear: creating new jobs and preserving existing jobs here at home should be our top priority.  If successful, we will strengthen our economy, reduce the deficit and enhance U.S. competiveness.  Then we can truly say, without fear of contradiction, that the state of our union is strong.”