Rep. Shadegg: Obama Needs to 'Freeze' Washington Spin

WASHINGTON , D.C. – Congressman John Shadegg (AZ-03) issued the following remarks on tonight’sState of the Union address:

“President Obama called on Americans to once again trust in the promises he made on the campaign trail. He promised not to raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 a year, but used nearly every bit of his political capital to pass a government takeover of health care which would raise taxes on that very group. Time and time again, he has promised transparency, job creation, and tangible solutions, all of which have gone up in smoke.




“I’m glad to hear the President calling us to high purposes, but he is leaving the real work up to the most partisan Congress in history. Americans are frustrated about reckless spending, Washington self-dealing, energy taxes, mounting job losses, and a government that simply won’t listen to their concerns.

“I agree with the President’s statement that we must leave our children a better world than we inherited. However, I find it stunning that the President, who has created a mountain of debt, now says we should not do so. In fact, the annual deficit under President Obama is more than six times larger than that of the previous administration.

“His proposed ‘spending freeze’ for 2011 is like waiting a year to buy a hose when fire is burning out of control today.


“President Obama and the Majority in Congress should go back to the drawing board and offer commonsense solutions. Congress should start by enacting discrete health care proposals, like fixing the tax code so individuals can purchase health insurance on the same advantaged basis as businesses, guaranteeing coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, and giving people real choice in health care by allowing them the opportunity to purchase coverage across state lines.”