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Burgess Statement on State of the Union Address

Washington, January 24, 2012 | Whitney Thompson (202-225-7772)
Washington, D.C. – In advance of President Obama’s State of the Union address, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health and Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement: “Tonight President Obama will make his sixth address to Congress and the American people since taking office. Today also coincidently marks the 1,000th day since the Senate has passed a budget. America is still at a crossroads and after three years of the Obama administration, people are still waiting for results.
Burgess Statement on State of the Union Address
“America is still at a crossroads and after three years of the Obama administration, people are still waiting for results.”

Washington, D.C. – In advance of President Obama’s State of the Union address, Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health and Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement:

“Tonight President Obama will make his sixth address to Congress and the American people since taking office. Today also coincidently marks the 1,000th day since the Senate has passed a budget. America is still at a crossroads and after three years of the Obama administration, people are still waiting for results.

“On February 2, 2009 President Obama said, “If I don’t have this done in three years, then there’s gonna be a one-term proposition.” He campaigned on the promise that he would have a legislative agenda that would put people back to work, help our economy recover, and bring people together. While there have been some signs of recovery, the policies of the Obama administration have prolonged our economic pain, failed the jobs recovery, and have pushed legislation that includes a government takeover of the health care system, over $800 billion in stimulus funding, and more government regulations. As a result, we are in a further financial crisis and have had an unemployment rate over eight-percent for thirty-four consecutive months. In addition, gas prices have doubled since he took office and our national debt is greater than the size of the economy.

“President Obama and Senate Democrats have talked about putting Americans back to work, but have failed in implementing programs, or even voting on legislation, that would actually accomplish this. Just last week the Obama administration formally rejected the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline proposal that has been in the works for over three years. Even the Obama administration’s Jobs Council stated that we need to optimize all of our natural resources if we are going to compete and accelerate job creation.

“The broken promises do not end with jobs. In last year’s State of the Union address, President Obama talked about the need for medical malpractice reform and said that he was eager to work with those who had ideas. As a physician, I know firsthand that we desperately need reform so the very next day I sent a letter to the president and told him I was eager and willing to work with him on this issue. A year later, I’m still waiting to hear back. While I am disappointed and feel as if part of his speech was just more rhetoric, the issue is too important and House Republicans have since taken action and are moving forward with legislation.

“President Obama was elected because the American people believed that he would bring forward policies and ideas that would put us back on a path of prosperity. He and his administration have failed. I know we can do better.”