Washington, DC — Rep. Jim Costa issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.
“For our Valley, the most important words the President uttered tonight were not in his actual speech, but when he told me ‘we have a drought to work together on’ before he took to the podium,” said Costa. “As we face this water crisis, California needs all the help we can get, and I hope he remains true to his promise to be a partner in our struggle.
“Recent years have been difficult and our recovery uneven, but we are finally seeing reasons to be optimistic about the future of our nation. The President called for this year to be one of action and the 10 million Americans still living in the shadows could not agree more while they continue to wait for Congress to act on immigration reform. We also need to turn the tide of small, short-term thinking by building a 21st century water and transportation system capable of advancing our economy and keeping pace with our growing population.
“While I have had my differences with the Obama Administration, I agree that now is the time for us to reexamine our priorities, now is the time to put the middle class first, now is the time for progress.”