U.S. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon

U.S. Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

“Tonight we heard a campaign speech from the President.  Unfortunately it has become obvious that the President has decided to be a ‘Campaigner in Chief’ not a Commander in Chief. Since President Obama took office, almost 2 million more Americans are out of work, more Americans are on food stamps than ever before, the deficit has more than doubled, our national debt has eclipsed our entire economy and businesses struggling to prosper have found themselves subject to an unprecedented burden of government regulation.

“Because the President can’t run for re-election on his record, he has chosen to put politics over policy and send a divisive message to the American people where words of blame have taken over actions of change.   The President is a very charismatic speaker, but behind tonight’s lofty rhetoric and pretty language is a dangerous agenda of growing government, greater spending and higher taxes.

“Americans are hurting and are calling on Washington to put election politics aside and get to work fixing our country.  If the President is willing, I know that my colleagues and I would welcome the opportunity to work with the President to pass legislation that is good for our families, our businesses and our country.”