Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell delivered the Republican response to the State of the Union address. Like President Obama, Governor McDonnell emphasized the economy during his remarks, as well as health care and education.
Governor McDonnell responded to the president’s economic proposals by saying, “Good government policy should spur economic growth, and strengthen the private sector’s ability to create new jobs. We must enact policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation, so America can better compete with the world. What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation, and litigation that kills jobs and hurts the middle class.” He continued, “In the past year, over 3 million Americans have lost their jobs, yet the Democratic Congress continues deficit spending, adding to the bureaucracy, and increasing the national debt on our children and grandchildren. The amount of this debt is on pace to double in five years, and triple in 10. The federal debt is already over $100,000 per household. This is simply unsustainable. The president’s partial freeze on discretionary spending is a laudable step, but a small one.”
In addressing the issue of health care reform, the governor said, “There is much common ground. All Americans agree, we need a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality. But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government. Republicans in Congress have offered legislation to reform health care, without shifting Medicaid costs to the states, without cutting Medicare, and without raising your taxes. We will do that by implementing common sense reforms, like letting families and businesses buy health insurance policies across state lines, and ending frivolous lawsuits against doctors and hospitals that drive up the cost of your health care.”
Governor McDonnell argued the importance of education in the global economy. “All Americans agree that a young person needs a world-class education to compete in the global economy…The president and I agree on expanding the number of high-quality charter schools and rewarding teachers for excellent performance. More school choices for parents and students mean more accountability and greater achievement. A child’s educational opportunity should be determined by her intellect and work ethic, not by her zip code.”
In closing, the governor said, “Government should have this clear goal: Where opportunity is absent, we must create it. Where opportunity is limited, we must expand it. Where opportunity is unequal, we must make it open to everyone. Our Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to create this nation. Now, we should pledge as Democrats, Republicans, and Independents Americans all to work together to leave this nation a better place than we found it.”
