BPC Experts Respond President Obama’s State Of The Union Address by Bipartisan Policy Center
Washington, D.C.– Bipartisan Policy Center experts made the following statements in response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address last night:
BPC Experts Respond President Obama’s State Of The Union Address
National Security
“President Obama identified important first steps for confronting major national security challenges that members of both parties should act on—passing an Authorization for the Use of Military Force in Syria and ramping up efforts to root out extremist ideologies—but did not capture the complexities of those challenges. Sectarian strife in Syria, Russian revanchism, Iranian intransigence, and Chinese expansionism were barely acknowledged,” Blaise Misztal, national security director, said.
Financial Regulation
“As the President said, America’s economy is among the strongest in the world. The question is whether our financial markets and institutions are able to withstand economic shocks that may come from abroad,” Aaron Klein, director of the Financial Regulatory Reform Initiative, said.
Health Care
“Expanding coverage to the uninsured, reducing health care costs, and improving the quality of health care delivery are critical to improving health and health care in America. Achieving these goals will require changes in the Affordable Care Act. Given the ongoing discord, we encourage dialogue among federal and state policymakers to identify opportunities to maintain and expand coverage, simplify administration, and provide more choices to families and individuals through increased state flexibility,” Bill Hoagland, senior vice president, said.
Medical Innovation
“It’s time to take action to significantly advance medical innovation in the United States and accelerate the delivery of much-needed, safe and effective cures to patients, including those with cancer. Improving the medical product development process, increasing regulatory clarity, strengthening the FDA’s ability to carry out its mission and enhancing investment in medical products to address unmet public health needs are critical to providing hope for patients with life-threatening diseases and advancing progress in research, new medicines and treatments,” Janet Marchibroda, director of health innovation, said.
Immigration
“Many believe that broad-based immigration legislation is off the table for the foreseeable future. Yet both President Obama and Governor Nikki Haley asserted the need to ‘fix the broken immigration system’ last night. That effort can only be achieved if both parties work together to find common ground that majorities can support. It’s not enough to just talk about the broken system; we need to find common, practical, and durable solutions,” Theresa Brown, director of immigration policy, said.
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