HARRISBURG, Jan. 26, 2011 – Senator Vincent Hughes (D – Philadelphia/ Montgomery) was in the audience last night when President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address. Hughes was invited by U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) to join him for the address.
“I was honored to attend the speech,” Hughes said. “I am thankful to Congressman Fattah for his generous offer. I felt it was important to hear firsthand the president’s plan for our nation – specifically issues so important for Pennsylvania such as deficit reduction, job creation and preserving health care reform.
“It is essential for the federal and state governments to work together – especially on job creation and health care priorities.”
Hughes said that “all of the areas mentioned in the speech are vital to Pennsylvania,” and that he was “particularly pleased that the president emphasized job creation and competition.”
The West Philadelphia lawmaker said that one of the most important lines in the speech was the president’s call to “out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build” as the key to moving the nation forward.
Hughes, who serves as Democratic Chairman of the state Senate Appropriations Committee, said that putting people back to work is the cornerstone of sound budget policy for the future.
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the president of the United States to Congress. The president reports on the condition of the country, as well as his legislative agenda and priorities.
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