Schakowsky Statement on State of the Union Address
"Barely a year into his presidency, while millions of Americans face hardships unlike any seen in generations, President Obama laid out a plan to restore faith in government and move the country further down the path of recovery.  In this historic speech, President Obama pointed to investments in small business, clean energy, and infrastructure projects as the key components for jumpstarting private sector job creation. His call to prevent Wall Street greed from further hurting the middle class and request to hold overzealous executives accountable for their actions send a strong message that the practices of the last decade will no longer be tolerated. I share his goal to reform education so that American students receive the best academic, scientific, and technological instruction in the world. Finally, I am heartened that the President put the cause of human rights and social justice at the forefront by calling for an end to discrimination against homosexuals. Over the next year, I look forward to working with the President and my colleagues in Congress to achieve these goals....