Oregon lawmakers react to State of the Union

As they have in past years, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., offered very different reactions to President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night.

Here’s Walden’s remarks, in full:

“Having come off seven town halls this weekend in Eastern Oregon, I can tell you while the economy’s better, it’s not where it needs to go.

“And people are expecting those of us elected to go to Washington and get the job done, to get America back on track. To pass policies that will actually grow jobs that in our part of the world will actually improve forest management, create jobs in our rural communities, help our farmers and ranchers, help those in timber communities, so that we can be self-sustaining.

“We need new, fresh ideas — not these old, top-down, Washington-knows-best, failed liberal policies that just haven’t worked.

“The election in November was a referendum election on a lot of the president’s policies, which were rejected.

“Together, though, we’ve got to figure out how to make America stronger, how to help middle-class America get better jobs and move forward. So, you know, the opportunities await us, and so are the responsibilities ahead of us.”

Here are Senator Wyden’s remarks, also in full:

“Tonight the President set out a new test for sustained economic growth,” Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said.

“This Congress will be measured by how much it increases wages for middle-class and all working families and expands opportunities in education and housing. I’m glad the President spent so much of his speech walking us through his ideas for providing opportunity in pay, housing and education and providing help for middle-class and all working families in Oregon and across the country.

“On taxes and trade, education and energy, the proposals the President outlined tonight should be seen as good and serious starting points. My hope is these can be a catalyst for bipartisan, common-sense discussion that move us ahead in solving the country’s challenging problems. I look forward to seeing the details of his plans so Congress can get to work.

“As the author of the first bipartisan comprehensive tax reform in a quarter century, I’m pleased the President has laid out some tax proposals that expand the tax reform discussion to growing the economy through investing in the middle class and working families. I believe comprehensive tax reform is the best path to address the massive challenge of fixing America’s broken tax code, and I am glad to see President discuss reform in those terms.

“In an uneven economic recovery beset by stagnant wages, it has become clear that our tax code does far more to make it easier for the well-connected to avoid paying their fair share than it does to help working American families make ends meet.

“In order to maximize job and wage growth, the nation must have a trade policy that doesn’t just benefit big business, but benefits small business and American workers while enforcing the rules fairly.”

And here’s what Sen. Jeff Merkley had to say:

“The President put his focus squarely on the American middle class tonight, and that’s exactly where our focus should be. Six years after the financial crisis and the Great Recession our economy is improving, but it’s time to set our sights even higher.

“We need an economy that works for everyone, not just the best-off – the kind of economy that will deliver the opportunity and the middle-out growth Americans are looking for. Let’s seize this moment for a bold, middle-class opportunity agenda.

“I’m especially pleased that the President is encouraging the nation to ‘go big’ on college affordability, with a plan to vastly expand tuition-free community college opportunities. With Americans now owing more than $1 trillion in student debt, this is a huge and growing problem that demands bold and innovative solutions.

“I fully support investing more in our community colleges, which are among the most cost-effective and powerful tools in our higher education system. In addition, we should look further at how we can make four-year and graduate degrees more affordable.

“We also need to invest more in our infrastructure to create jobs and to make our economy competitive for the long-term, and I’m glad the President focused not just on much-needed road and bridge repairs but also on our ports, our rails, and our broadband access.

“And I hope that, as he did in his recent infrastructure proposal, he’ll keep focusing as well on water infrastructure. In every corner of Oregon and in every state across the country, we face crumbling water infrastructure that is a danger to families, to businesses, and to our economy.

“Let’s make smart investments in water infrastructure, such as through the WIFIA (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) program for low-cost loans, and create jobs while creating a better future for communities across the nation.