Congressman is cautiously optimistic about President's plans, offers cooperation.
[view:node_ad=5]
Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, the top Republican on the U.S.
House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement regarding President
Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress:
“President Obama deserves great credit for his
ambitious plan to get our economy back on track, our fiscal house back in
order, and our educational system back atop the rest of the world. The
challenges we face are great, but the American spirit is greater.
“I stand ready to work with the President to renew our
nation’s schools and protect future generations by reining in wasteful spending
and putting us back on the road to fiscal responsibility. But I remain gravely
concerned that congressional Democrats may stand in the way of these shared
goals.
“Just this week, House Democrats are preparing to approve a
partisan spending package that allocates more than $400 billion in taxpayer
dollars to Democrats’ favored programs; contrast that with the Republican
proposal to immediately freeze spending. At the same time, Democrats in
Congress are attacking critical education reform initiatives like the D.C.
Opportunity Scholarship Program, setting us backward in the drive to improve
educational opportunities for students.
“I am hopeful that the President’s address this evening
marks a shift from the big spending, special interest-driven agenda that
congressional Democrats have thus far embraced.”