Gov. Gregoire�s statement on President Obama�s State of the Union

For Immediate Release: January 27, 2010

Olympia- Gov. Chris Gregoire today issued the following statement regarding President Obama�s State of the Union speech:

�President Obama spoke directly to families across the country who for the last decade have been working harder but have been falling further behind. His focus on creating jobs, reforming education and providing quality affordable healthcare to all are the right priorities for America, and the right priorities for Washington state.

In my state, I�ve proposed policies to encourage businesses, especially small ones, to start hiring again and create 40,000 jobs. The President�s focus on jobs is perfectly aligned with our local efforts.

Given its unquestionable job creation potential, I was pleased to hear the President talk about building a clean energy economy that will keep the United States competitive in the global marketplace. From the Washington State perspective, we have so much to offer � and so much to gain from � the clean technology sector.

The President was right when he urged Congress to keep up the effort on healthcare reform and for his call to get it done. Too many families are one step away from medical bankruptcy.

The President�s speech laid out a vision and a plan to build a new foundation of American prosperity for families and businesses, and as usual, he gave an inspiring performance. I believe in the President�s agenda and look forward to working with him as we move our country forward toward a stronger state and country.�