Washington, DC – Rep. Pete Olson (TX-22) tonight issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s first State of the Union address:
“The state of our union is strong! As President Trump said, our economy is in good shape and getting better. With low unemployment, a strong stock market and positive growth in our business climate, these numbers will continue to improve as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is fully implemented. Americans will see more money in their paychecks, companies will continue to bring revenue back from overseas, our companies will be competitive in the global market and job growth will continue to soar.
“It was good to see the president acknowledge the heroic efforts of the Cajun Navy and so many heroes of Hurricane Harvey. While Texans have made progress, much more must be done. The House acted before Christmas on a bill that included $81 billion more for disaster recovery. The Senate went home doing nothing. The Senate MUST act as well.
“The president is right to address infrastructure, a critical need for the Houston region in the wake of our explosive growth, Harvey and three years of historic flood events. We must invest in the Port of Houston and critical flood control projects now to protect our neighbors before the next flood or hurricane hits. Making these investments now also protects the taxpayers from being forced to pay out billions when the next disaster hits because the federal government failed to act.
“As a Navy veteran, I’m thrilled our president is taking decisive action to rebuild our military. After years of decline, our military needs a critical reboot. Sequestration has woefully underfunded our military at a time when we are asking more of them to defend America. President Trump has been a force for good in stepping up to support our military and demand that Congress ensure they are at top military readiness. With looming threats from North Korea, ISIS and Iran, and the continued wars being waged in Afghanistan and Iraq, our military must be ready to train and win on the front lines of large-scale warfare.
“I look forward to working on these and other issues with our president and my colleagues. We have a duty to the American people to find meaningful solutions to the issues facing our nation.”