Washington, DC– U.S. Congressman Pat Meehan (R-PA/07) issued the following statement in reaction to President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“I am encouraged by the President’s tone – he spoke of the shared opportunity to create an environment for a strong economy, find solutions on health care and cut spending.   He rightly places the family at the core of our purpose and an obligation to address tough issues on behalf of our children.”

“The great challenge is getting beyond the rhetoric to real solutions that would put more Americans back to work.  We must encourage innovation to maintain our pre-eminent place in the world, but the President’s call for competitive tax rates and a reduction in needless regulation must be genuine to support it.  As with each of his challenges from education to energy, the devil is in the details.  I was disappointed that the President did not say more about how he proposes to deal with the staggering debt our nation faces.  Our nation's ability to do “big things” will require tough choices.”