Statement From Senate President Pro Tempore Malcolm A. Smith Re: State Of The Union

“In the Senate we share many of the same priorities as President Obama: creating jobs, getting government spending under control, and providing relief to overburdened taxpayers.

But as the nation continues to recover, we must be mindful of the serious challenges facing everyday New Yorkers who are out of work, losing their homes, and without health coverage.

We have an obligation, like the President, to focus on putting people back to work and helping families make ends meet. The direction we need to take for a healthy economy is clear. We must diversify our economy by developing innovative ways to expand manufacturing and agriculture industries, invest in new technologies, bring Green Jobs programs to life, while aiding the growth of small businesses. We need high-speed rail to link our cities and attract industry.  We must rebuild our bridges, runways and ports to create jobs, high-paying jobs to ensure that families can live, work and grow in New York. In the coming months we will continue to focus on fiscally responsible proposals and policy initiatives to put New Yorkers back to work.”