North County Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are calling for increased protection of national security and continued progress on our economy following the State of the Union address last night delivered by President Barack Obama.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

“Tonight President Obama spoke to a nation that overwhelmingly believes our country is headed in the wrong direction. Families across our country and across our district need better jobs and higher wages, and they are concerned that our government is not doing enough to keep our nation safe.

“My top priority as a Member of Congress is to promote economic growth and job creation, which is why I was so pleased that we were able to accomplish significant achievements last year. We delivered certainty to our economy with a two-year budget agreement that lifted arbitrary sequester cuts on our nation’s defense; we passed the first long-term transportation package in a decade; and we secured important North Country economic priorities such as the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank and a delay in the medical device tax, among other measures.

“This year I will continue working hard with my House colleagues on behalf of families in our district to put forth a vision for broad-based tax reform that will make our tax code flatter, fairer and simpler for our businesses to compete across the globe. I will also be working to reduce our out of control regulatory code that burdens small businesses and passes additional costs onto consumers. And I will continue to build upon my record of finding commonsense fixes to our healthcare system to reduce costs and improve the quality of care families receive.

“I hope the President helps continue our recent record of bipartisan successes by working with Congress this year on these policies. And I hope the President finally moves forward with a clear, comprehensive strategy to defeat ISIS. There is chaos around the globe and now more than ever we need sound policies in place to protect our national security.

“President Obama’s last year in office does not have to be drowned out in an election year – he should work with Congress to help ease the concerns of the American people.”

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

“President Obama spoke tonight about the progress we have made toward getting our economy back on track and the ways we can continue this momentum to create more jobs and remain competitive in a growing global economy.

“And while we must continue to be vigilant and work to stop terrorism from metastasizing abroad as the President outlined, we must also take every step necessary to prevent and protect against any threats here at home.

“I am optimistic as we enter 2016. We can work together to end gun violence. We can and should work together to give every working American paid leave. I will continue to work toward making these goals a reality for all New Yorkers in the year ahead.”