Langevin agrees, “Tonight, we have turned a page”

Thinks the President laid out a plan for rebuilding the American middle-class

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address:

“America is strongest when we have a strong middle class, and a thriving middle class is a direct result of access to opportunity. That is a principle tenet of this great nation, and it was at the core of President Obama’s remarks this evening.

“Opportunity comes in many forms, from education and access to health care, to affordable housing and workforce development that is in tune with the demands of the job market. When America prioritizes these important investments, America succeeds, and I applaud the President’s attention to these policies.

“All around us, we are seeing the signs of a gradually recovering economy. New home foreclosures are at their lowest level since 2006, and manufacturing is resurging nationwide. More than 11 million private-sector jobs have been added in the last five years.

“In the words of President Obama, ‘tonight, we turn the page.’ This is great news, and if we are to build upon that momentum, we must invest in middle class families. We must continue to demand a living wage for all workers, because no one in America should work a 40-hour work week and still live in poverty.

“We must incentivize job growth by eliminating tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship jobs overseas. We must make education more affordable and lighten the burden of student loan debt that rests heavy on the shoulders of our young people.

“We must promote a simpler tax code that ensures everyone is paying their fair share. The President has outlined a practical plan to address these issues, and I truly believe that there is a compromise to be found that will achieve these goals with bipartisan support. The President’s tax plan would raise $320 billion over the next 10 years; immigration reform could save $175 billion over that same time period. If we make these kinds of smart reforms, we can reinvest in essential areas like infrastructure, education, and middle class tax relief.

“As co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, I am particularly excited to see cybersecurity come center stage in the State of the Union and in the public dialogue. Cybersecurity is an issue of economic and national security that cannot be ignored. I hope the President’s attention to this challenge will be the impetus for Congress to pass comprehensive cybersecurity legislation.

“I have strongly supported information-sharing legislation, as the President has proposed, that would allow private companies to share threat data with the government, and vice versa. And I will be introducing legislation in the very near future to require companies impacted by data breaches to notify affected consumers within 30 days to improve consumer protections and reduce the threat of identity theft.

“The challenges facing our nation are great, but so too are the opportunities, and we cannot let these opportunities go to waste. I believe we can seize this moment and put our country back on sound economic footing. We can restore the public trust in government and make the middle class stronger than ever. The President has set the tone for the year to come. He is ready to roll up his sleeves and so am I. I am eager to continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build consensus and do what is right for the American people.”