Rep. Robert Hurt

Here’s what Rep. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, had to say:

“At this important time in our nation’s history, we are tasked with the duty to leave this country a better and a more prosperous place than was left to us. And while the President discussed many important issues tonight, a harsh economic reality remains. Thousands of hard-working Americans in Virginia’s 5th District are out of work, a more than $16 trillion national debt threatens the future of this great nation, and too many are finding the American Dream to be out of reach.
“The President’s policies have led to bigger government, more debt, less job creation, and fewer Americans doing better than our parents’ generation. Consistent, double-digit unemployment has plagued the 5th District; fewer small businesses have started and more have failed; families have continued to struggle as the cost of living is rising and wages are falling; and hardworking taxpayers across this country are paying the price for the President’s continued resistance to balance the budget.
“The House of Representatives has acted, but we cannot alone restore American prosperity. We must, over the next two years, together adopt policies that will preserve this great nation for our children and grandchildren. Together, we can balance the budget, restore economic stability, empower our small business owners, and ensure that all hardworking Americans have a chance to be part of the American Dream. We can do this, not by government solutions, but as generations before us have, by placing faith in the American people. As we continue our work in the House to ensure that all of those in Virginia’s 5th District and across this country have a chance, I look forward to the President and the Senate joining with us.”