Montana’s two senators, Democrats Jon Tester and Max Baucus, and the state’s lone congressman, Republican Steve Daines, swiftly issued responses after last night’s State of the Union address by President Barack Obama.
Tester and especially Baucus have done this before, but for Daines it was his first State of the Union response and he provided a bit more of a thorough statement.
Tester’s release, which noted that he sat with his friend Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., featured a two-sentence statement:
“Creating jobs and strengthening our economy will require Republicans and Democrats working together to solve the challenges facing our nation. But challenges present opportunities, and I will work with anyone committed to building a stronger middle class, cutting wasteful spending and cutting our debt.”
Baucus, who invited Flathead Valley Community College President Jane Karas and a Bozeman High School student to the address, also focused on jobs:
“Creating jobs has to be our number one priority. So, as I watched the State of the Union the number one thing on my mind was ‘how can we translate words into jobs?’ Bringing our troops home from Afghanistan is the right thing to do, and we have a responsibility to do all we can to make sure they have good-paying jobs to come home to. Tackling veteran unemployment is something we can all agree on and I’ll be pushing hard to make our Vets Jobs Bill a top priority this year. Passing a strong Farm Bill is one surefire way we can support jobs right now, and I will keep fighting to get it done for the one-in-five Montana jobs that depend on agriculture. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. It’s time to roll up our sleeves, work together and get it done.”
Daines specifically pushed back against the president’s proposals to solve the debt crisis and for energy, which you can see in his full response, as I’ve provided only his opening remarks:
“We all share the common goal of renewing and growing our economy. But the President’s vision for this country is one of bigger government and more spending, not the common sense Montana values and pro-growth solutions that our nation needs. Montanans deserve real solutions, not more political rhetoric. To grow our economy, to create jobs, to get our debt under control, we need common sense Montana solutions, not more of Washington’s failed ideas. Anything less is unfair to the next generation.”