Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson issued the following statement after the President’s State of the Union Address.

“I am not surprised that the President missed another opportunity to unite our country with his last State of the Union address,” said Simpson. “Instead of engaging Congress with a list of policy proposals we can work on together, the President chose to use the speech to lecture the nation on his agenda and his tired executive actions that continue to be blocked by our judicial branch. Noticeably absent from his speech was an acknowledgement that a mere 27 percent of Americans currently believe the country is headed in the right direction.  Also noticeably absent was any mention of the crisis we face with regard to our national debt, with the President instead pronouncing new federal programs that would only add billions to it.  

“There is no doubt this President delivers a great speech. The problem is he simply cannot deliver what he promises to the American people. The truth is that ISIS is not contained, the labor force participation rate remains too low, and our government-knows-best healthcare system is raising costs for families and patients.  Sadly, the President missed a chance to provide a path forward at a time when our country needs bold ideas and creative solutions.”