Hoyer Discusses the State of the Union Address on WJLA News Channel 8, WUSA Channel 9 and WTOP Radio

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-5) discussed President Obama's State of the Union address on WJLA News Channel 8, WUSA Channel 9, and WTOP radio last night. Below are excerpts and links to his comments.

WJLA News Channel 8

Click here to watch his comments on WJLA News Channel 8.

"You know the three things in the beginning that I remember are focus on the future and then don't fear the future and then he talked about some issues. He talked about education and health care, he talked about national security, but what the speech was really about was [that] there is so much that we can accomplish if we work together… and he ended the speech with ‘We the People,' not we the Democrats, or we the Republicans, or we the Catholics, the Baptists, or the Episcopal, the Jews, and Muslims, but ‘We the People' and that together America can accomplish a much better future than it can torn apart and divisive."

"I don't think that this was a speech that anyone would conclude that he's running out of gas. I think he had a lot of gas in the tank tonight, but I think, as you point out, it was not simply a laundry list of legislative proposals that he's going to make. It was really an appeal to our better natures, an appeal to both Democrats and Republicans and to the American people. You remember he spoke at the end directly to the American people and said I'm going to join you pretty soon. I'm going to be a citizen and together we need to have our voice heard, not the voices of special interests or big money, but our voices and the way we do that is to vote."

WUSA Channel 9

Click here to watch his comments on WUSA Channel 9.

"We the People. An appeal to all Americans, irrespective of party or race, or religion or region. We the People. What he said in this speech was ‘look, I've got issues [I care about], and he mentioned a number of the issues in climate change, in education, in health care, science, research opportunities.' But his speech was about, America, if we come together, there is nobody that can contend with us. America, we are the strongest on earth. Americans, our economy is the strongest on the earth. Are we perfect? No, but we can make a better union if we are together. We the People. I thought that was a very compelling theme."

Comments on WTOP Radio:

"I think it was a speech… mentioning a lot of issues that he believes are very important. But it was more than that. It was a speech calling us to come together."