Lujan Grisham Statement on the State of the Union Address

Statement

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) tonight released the following statement on President Obama's State of the Union Address:

"I agree with the President that 2014 must be a year of action. And while we can point to recent bipartisan successes, we cannot stop until all New Mexicans and Americans have a fair path to economic security.

"There's finally movement on bipartisan priorities that were stalled for far too long. Congress has passed a budget. We've passed an appropriations bill. We're poised to pass a five-year farm bill. But before we pat ourselves on the back, we must recognize that there's still much work to do.

"First, we must take immediate action to extend emergency unemployment insurance for the nearly 7,500 New Mexicans and 1.6 million Americans who have lost this vital lifeline. These are honest, hardworking people like my guest for tonight's speech, Coby Messier, a long-term unemployed sheet metal worker from Albuquerque, and they don't deserve to be left out in the cold. To help New Mexicans like Coby, we should also invest in workforce training so that more people who are ready and willing to work can obtain good-paying jobs.

"I applaud the President's announcement that he will sign an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contract workers to $10.10 an hour. This is an important step, but it's not enough. Now it's time for Congress to finish the job by raising the minimum wage for all American workers. In a state with one of the largest income inequality gaps, this will have an immediate impact and help lift hardworking New Mexicans out of poverty. Reducing income inequality also means ensuring women get equal pay for equal work and empowering America's working women.

"And we should also make 2014 the year that we finally fix our nation's broken immigration system. Congress must pass comprehensive immigration reform with an earned pathway to citizenship. Our economy demands it, our businesses demand it and our future demands it.

"Through this renewed commitment to action, we can make important progress toward the goals we all share: creating good-paying jobs, growing the economy and strengthening middle class families in New Mexico and throughout the nation.

"But it's going to require Democrats and Republicans to work together. During tonight's speech, I sat with my fellow freshman class presidents, Luke Messer, a Republican from Indiana, and John Delaney, a Democrat from Maryland. It's a small but significant sign that this freshman class is serious about finding common ground and working together on behalf of all Americans. The challenges facing New Mexico and the nation are too great and the stakes are too high for us not to act."

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