Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: "Tonight's speech provided an important blueprint to grow our economy by growing the middle class. President Obama outlined a plan to ensure that American manufacturers – and the middle-class jobs they support – are not only the most productive in the world, but also the most innovative."
House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester: "Four years after the president first addressed a joint session of Congress, Americans are still asking, 'where are the jobs?' Tonight, he offered them little more than more of the same 'stimulus' policies that have failed to fix our economy and put Americans back to work. We cannot grow the middle class and foster job creation by growing government and raising taxes. Washington has a spending problem that threatens the prosperity of every child, every family, and every small business in America. The president had an opportunity to offer a solution tonight, and he let it slip by."
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana: "The President and his big spending allies in Congress have gone on an unprecedented spending spree over the past four years, and the message in tonight's speech is no different. Washington's borrowing and spending has pushed our nation to the brink of bankruptcy, but has failed to create the jobs needed to get our economy moving again. More of the same is not the answer. To put people back to work, we need bold new ideas like ending the out-of-control borrowing, scrapping the tax code, and repealing ObamaCare. I am committed to getting our country back on track and restoring the American Dream for future generations, and I encourage the President to join."
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio: "This isn't the first time we have heard from President Obama about plans to create jobs and rejuvenate the economy. Unfortunately, his first term showed that speeches alone do not equate to meaningful action, and he has yet to lead and reach across the aisle to develop a serious plan to rebuild our economy and stem Washington's out-of-control debt."
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