State of the Union response

Rep. Eliot Engel issued the following statement after President Obama’s State of the Union address. Make the jump to read U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's statement. 

“The President’s speech tonight was essentially a strategic plan to bolster the American Dream – which is slipping out of reach for far too many Americans.  President Obama cited the fear of losing out on the American Dream for low- to middle-income families as the reason he sought public office.  As the son of an ironworker growing up in public housing, and educated in New York City Public Schools and at the City University of New York, this struck close to home for me.  I was afforded the opportunity to one day serve my country in the United States Congress.  As a parent, we always seek better opportunities for our children than we had ourselves.  That should be the case for all American families.

“Our economy has come a long way since the dark days back in 2007-08 when we were losing hundreds of thousands of jobs each month.  We cannot ignore 22 consecutive months of growth, and over three million private sector jobs added since the President’s first State of the Union address.  Recovery has been slower than anyone wants, but the fact remains our economy is getting better.

“We must return to the days where both parties worked together for the good of the country.  Compromise cannot continue to be a dirty word.  Our challenges are far too great for us to continue self-defeating partisanship.  Our goals should be for the betterment of the American people, not cold-hearted electoral politics. 

“I was pleased to hear the President sees energy as one of the main avenues for shoring up the American Dream.  Clean energy investments created tens of thousands of good paying jobs in recent years. Reducing pollution will also protect the health of all Americans by, cutting down the rates of serious diseases.  Promoting alternative fuel sources will help lead our country to a future free from dependence on foreign governments, many of which are hostile to our interests.  Oil production has never been higher, and Democrats must remember we must avoid saying no all of the time and find other ways to produce domestic energy sources. 

“Far too many families can barely keep pace with their mortgage payments and household expenses.  Our focus must remain on jobs and the economy, and rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure.  However, we are sadly mistaken if we lose sight of the crisis our public education system faces.  We must reform No Child Left Behind, or every American will be left behind.   We must fix our borders and reform our immigration system.  We cannot forget that immigration done correctly has made our country the successful melting pot it is today.  We must also finally come to grips that health care in this nation is a right and not a privilege. We have much more that needs to be accomplished to keep America great, and enable more people to take part in the American Dream. 

“I am hopeful that 2012 will be more productive than 2011, when manufactured crises dominated our national rhetoric.  Americans expect more from their government, and we should demand it of ourselves.  We must show that we can still come together to preserve and expand the American Dream.”

Dinowitz, leading Obama reelection campaign locally, named delegate for national convention

Here's a story from this week's Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, leading the local charge to reelect the president of the United States, has been selected by the Obama for President Campaign as a candidate for delegate to the Democratic National Convention. 

Dinowitz, who has been selected five times before, would be the only Bronxite representing the 17th Congressional district. 

In 1980, Dinowitz was one of the youngest delegates in the convention held in New York City. He was elected as a Ted Kennedy delegate. He was a Bill Clinton delegate in 1996, an Al Gore delegate in 2000, a John Kerry delegate in 2004 and a Hillary Clinton delegate in 2008. 

Both President Obama and the candidates for delegates to the DNC are running in the April 24 New York presidential primary. It would appear that they are unopposed. The 17th CD elects eight convention delegates; the other candidates on the slate include Mario Cilento, the President of the NYS AFL-CIO, State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and several local legislators and party officials from Westchester and Rockland counties. 

The convention is Labor Day weekend in Charlotte, N.C. 

Riverdale resident Jack Lew to be named Obama's chief of staff

Riverdale resident Jack Lew will
be Obama's new chief of staff.

Reports are rolling in that Jacob "Jack" Lew is going to be named President Obama's chief of staff, replacing William Daley.

Lew, an Orthodox Jew, is currently the director of the Office of Management and Budget, a Cabinet-level position and a post he also filled during the Clinton administration.

He was previously Obama's deputy secretary of state.

Daley is leaving after just over a year on the job; he replaced Rahm Emanuel, who left the White House to run successfully for Chicago's mayor.

The shift from Daley to Lew will take place at the end of this month. Lew will complete the budget proposal and Daley will oversee crafting of the State of the Union address due in two weeks.

"I think the world of Jack Lew," Rep. Eliot Engel said in a phone interview, going on to list good trait after good trait about him. "Both as smart as a whip and as bright as can be. He’s a nice person and he interacts well with people. The president made a good choice."

We are going to have a full story on this in this week's paper, so make sure to pick up a copy Thursday.

Roberto Clemente State Park highlighted in national initiative

Here's a story from this week's Bronx Press. The full lineup of stories is coming later today.

Ken Salazar (center) toured Roberto Clemente State Park
with U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano, state Sen. Jose Serrano
and others last week.

By Brendan McHugh

It’s not often a member President Obama’s team visits the Bronx, but they did last Friday to launch a new job creating initiative.

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Obama’s nature czar, came to Roberto Clemente State Park in Morris Heights to launch the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. 

Just days before the release of a 50-state report outlining ways to reconnect Americans to the outdoors, Salazar joined U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano and local environmental activists in highlighting Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative to establish a 21st century conservation and recreation agenda and reconnect Americans to the outdoors. 

“For so many decades, people turned their backs on America,” Salazar said. “It’s been only in the last 30 years there’s been a rediscovery of the greatness of the rivers of America.” 

Jump below for the full story.

Engel celebrates Obama's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq

Rep. Eliot Engel issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s announcement that all American troops will be out of Iraq by the end of the year. Engel is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“I applaud President Obama for this decision to bring our troops home and I hope in the not-so-distant future he can do the same in Afghanistan.  After nearly nine years, the war in Iraq is finally coming to a close.  The President fulfilled his campaign promise to end the war, which has lasted twice as long as World War II, cost our nation billions of dollars and sadly we have lost approximately 4,500 American lives.  I have been calling for the end of the war since 2007, and at long last it is coming true.  While the mission was often muddled, the bravery and dedication of our men and women in uniform was never in question.  They can return home for the holidays, to the loved ones they left behind, knowing that they served their country honorably, and that they have the gratitude of the entire nation.

“This action is long overdue, and has my full support.  Unfortunately, the lasting legacy of this war is the emboldening of Iran, the loss of American lives, and the sacrifices we must now demand in order to pay the bills and take care of America’s veterans.  I fully believe the war in Afghanistan could have ended long ago, if we didn’t divert attention and resources to Iraq.

“Iraq once again belongs to the Iraqi people.  Between this, the deaths of Moamar Qadaffi and Osama bin Laden, the systematic elimination of al Qaeda leaders, and the continued withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan, perhaps this long chapter in our history will come to a close.  We must remain vigilant, as our enemies still lurk and remain committed to attacking us at home and abroad.  However, today is a great day for the families of our service men and women, for the Iraqi people and for the American people.  I commend the President for his actions, and look forward to the day where the last American boot finally leaves Iraqi soil.”

Local pols react to Obama's job speech (Update)

President Obama, with
Vice President Joe Biden (left)
and Speaker of the House
John Boehner (right) behind him.

Here are statements from Congressman Eliot Engel and City Comptroller John Liu regarding President Obama's speech last night. I've shortened them up quite a bit. Jump below for the statements, as well as videos of Obama's speech.

Update: I found Rep. Jose Serrano's statement, which is posted below the jump.

Engel, who has been clamoring for a jobs bill from the Republican party for months now, had this to say:

“The Republican House promised a ‘laser-like’ focus on jobs during the 2010 campaign, and they have failed to produce a single jobs bill. After the Republican Senate filibustered every jobs bill in 2010, this doesn’t come as a surprise. However, this is too important of an issue to be bogged down in the partisan politics of the past. Out-of-work Americans know no political affiliation.

Engel renews the call for new jobs, increased attention to infrastructure

Renewing his calls from earlier this summer, Congressman Eliot Engel has urged Washington to put aside political differences and find a way to give the American people jobs. His announcement comes in light of yesterday's announcement by no change in jobs added.

He also urged the Republican House Majority, Senate Leadership, and President Barack Obama to come together and produce a long-term surface transportation funding extension to improve the nation’s infrastructure.

For those interested, here is a piece by Michael Kink, a political activist in Albany, about what New York State should do about the job situation.

Jump below for Engel's full statement, which focuses on how Hurricane Irene exposed the weaknesses in the country's roads and bridges.

Engel blasts Republicans for lack of jobs bill

Rep. Engel is fighting for a jobs bill.

Rep. Eliot Engel sent out a statement today blasting the Republican House Majority because they have yet to fulfill a promise to produce a jobs bill.

"Instead of putting the resources of the federal government to help the recovery and put more people back to work, the Republican agenda has focused more on repealing the Affordable Care Act, and eliminating the thousands of jobs connected to it.  Worst of all, they passed their FY 2012 budget, which eliminates Medicare and Medicaid as we know it. It seems the Republicans not only do not want to help get people back to work, they want to take away their health care too!" said Engel (D-NY-17), who represents parts of Bronx, Westchester and Rockland counties.

Economically, the counties he represents are vastly different. Rockland and Westchester are around 6.8% unemployment, while the Bronx has been in the double digits for a long time. Engel's office said the Department of Labor's most recent listing for Bronx unemployment was at 11.5%.

President Barack Obama also released a statement about the slow job growth, and while he didn't make any direct references to a jobs bill, he did call on Congress as a whole to step up and begin passing bills that will increase jobs.

"Today’s job report confirms what most Americans already know: We still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to give people the security and opportunity that they deserve. We’ve added more than two million new private sector jobs over the past 16 months, but the recession cost us more than eight million. And that means that we still have a big hole to fill.

"There are bills and trade agreements before Congress right now that could get all these ideas moving," he said about bills that would increase the sale of American-made goods and services to Asia and South America. "All of them have bipartisan support. All of them could pass immediately. And I urge Congress not to wait. The American people need us to do everything we can to help strengthen this economy and make sure that we are producing more jobs. "

Check out the full release by Rep. Engel after the jump.