Today, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) issued the following statement in response to President Obama's 2012 State of the Union address:
Today, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address:
“President Obama told the American people exactly what we need to hear – that we are at a crossroads in our country’s history. We are faced with the question of whether hard-working Americans and their families will still be able to achieve the American Dream. We need to ensure that if you work hard, you can afford to raise a family, own a home and put a little away for retirement. This is the defining issue for our time – how to keep the American Dream alive and well for our children and our children’s children. Either we can settle for a country where just a few people do really well while most Americans struggle to get by paycheck-to-paycheck, or we can build a nation where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fare share and everyone plays by the same rules.
Over the last 22 months, the economy has added a total of 3.2 million private sector jobs. And American manufacturing is creating jobs for the first time since the 1990s. But we need to do more to accelerate our economic growth. The President is right that we need good-paying manufacturing jobs and to rebuild our infrastructure. Those are exactly the types of jobs that will strengthen the middle class and help those trying to reach it. We must invest in our roads, bridges, airports, water and sewer systems, and our freight and passenger railroads – the very things that both help our businesses thrive and provide millions of skilled jobs to American workers.
As President Obama has said, because of health care reform, ‘you're never gonna go bankrupt because you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick.’ I agree with the President that we cannot go back to the days when health insurance companies could cancel your policy, deny you coverage or charge women differently than men.
Only when we start rebuilding America and training our kids for the jobs of the 21st century can we ensure that the American Dream is alive and well for the next generation. I will not rest until I know that my children and grandchildren – and your children and grandchildren – can achieve their own version of the American Dream.”
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Rep. Frederica S. Wilson is a first-term congresswoman representing the 17th District of Florida, including Northern Miami-Dade and Southeast Broward Counties. She is a former state legislator and school principal and the founder of the 5000 Role Models for Excellence Project, a mentoring program for young males at risk of dropping out of school.
