State of the Union: Laying out a Vision for the Future
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
President Obama addressed the nation this week in his last State of the Union address and shared his vision for the future of America. The President appealed to our better nature and focused on the future, reminding us of our responsibility to work together on challenges that will last beyond his presidency, including ensuring more of our people can make it in America, reforming our criminal justice system, combating climate change, and leading the world without becoming its policeman. While it is an election year, I hope that Republicans will heed the President’s call to reject extreme partisanship so that we may find common ground and get important things done this year, as the American people expect.
This week, I was disappointed that Republicans brought partisan bills to the Floor that have no chance of becoming law. Instead of wasting time, Congress must take action on a number of critical issues, including addressing Puerto Rico’s debt crisis. Puerto Rico is an integral part of the United States, and like other jurisdictions that have found themselves in deep fiscal trouble, we must work together to restructure the island’s debt. I will continue to urge Speaker Ryan and Republican leaders to act quickly to ensure that the territory’s debt crisis does not turn into an economic catastrophe.
Finally, the end of January marks the end of the 2016 open enrollment for plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace. Millions of uninsured Americans have already signed up through state-sponsored and the federal exchanges, and I encourage you to visit healthcare.gov to explore your options. If you wish to have coverage by February 1, the deadline to sign up for coverage is today, January 15. The final deadline to sign up for health insurance in 2016 is January 31 for coverage effective March 1.
Sincerely yours,
Steny H. Hoyer
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DEMOCRATIC NEWS UPDATE
On the State of the Union:
- Hoyer Statement on President Obama’s State of the Union Address
- VIDEO: Hoyer Response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address
- FACT SHEET: State of the Union 2016: A Look at the Progress Made
Hoyer Statement on Letter to President Obama on Immigration Raids