Congressman Owens Comments on the State of the State

Earlier this week, President Obama delivered his first state of the union address, and I would like to briefly update you on what it means for Upstate New York and what I plan on doing here in Washington to move our country forward.

It is clear we need fast action to put Upstate New Yorkers back to work. I am glad to hear that this administration is ready to move forward with job creation as its number one priority. I was also pleased to hear the President's pledge to double American exports. We are in a prime position to take advantage of this in the North Country with green energy products and green technology from our colleges and tech schools, as well as our large dairy industry.

In order to achieve the goals of creating more jobs and turning our economy around, we must change the tone here in Congress. Good ideas have no partisan labels. There are valid points on both sides of the aisle and for us to truly serve the interests of our constituents, we must abandon the politics of the backroom deal in favor of transparent legislation that will create jobs, develop our economy, and cut taxes.

Folks in the North Country are no stranger to tightening our belts, and Washington must do the same. I appreciate the President's pledge to extend tax cuts to our families, our students, and small business owners. I look forward to seeing these promises made on the House floor for consideration immediately.

That said, these cuts cannot come on the backs of our brave men and women in service to our country and our veterans. Keeping Fort Drum strong is one of my top priorities.

I am ready to redouble my efforts to bring our nation’s balance sheet under control. That's why we must eliminate tax cuts for companies that ship American jobs overseas. These practices are harmful to our economy. We need to create jobs, not eliminate them.

We have much work ahead of us. Congress can and must make it a priority to introduce and pass bipartisan legislation that will create jobs in the North Country and allow us to pull ourselves out of the recession. Our community has always been known for a strong work ethic. All we need is the opportunity to succeed, and we will do just that.

It is an honor to serve,
Congressman Bill Owens