| Offices : Beckley • Charleston • Fairmont • Martinsburg • Washington, DC | E-mail Senator Rockefeller |
January 27, 2000
ROCKEFELLER REACTS TO PRESIDENT CLINTON'S FINAL STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
WASHINGTON, D.C. —U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) this evening reacted to President Clinton's State of the Union address. The Senator released the following statement:
"The President laid out an incredibly ambitious agenda, and I am hopeful that we will have bipartisan cooperation in Congress to make real progress in his final year. For all of our recent economic gains, there remains significant work to be done to improve education, expand the availability of technology to all parts of our country, and spread America's prosperity to families and communities that are still suffering. I have worked hard to bring new jobs and economic opportunity to our state, but I know we can do even more if we pursue the right goals.
"One of the most critical challenges that we face is the need to improve and expand health care for children, families and elderly Americans. I am extremely pleased that the President has made creating a Medicare prescription drug benefit and attacking the problem of the uninsured among his highest priorities. These are also among my highest priorities in the coming year.
"Despite the magnitude of the problem, our country has done far too little in recent years to provide affordable, quality health care for the 44 million Americans, including 300,000 West Virginians, living without health insurance. While we have seen an incredible economic expansion recently, we have made shamefully little progress in expanding health coverage.
"By giving more children access to insurance and expanding health coverage for millions of adults, the President's plan would be an important and long overdue step forward. While it is not as ambitious as previous proposals, it will accomplish the goal of guaranteeing health coverage for millions of families. Even more than this must be done in the coming years, but I intend to work closely with the President to try and make his plan a reality this year.
"I have also been working with the President on his ‘New Markets' effort, which will spur new investment in areas of the country that have not shared in our nation's recent economic prosperity. To push this effort in Congress, I have already introduced legislation to provide tax credits that encourage business investment and expand the availability of financial services to rural and low income areas.
"An important part of spreading our prosperity also involves combating the ‘digital divide.' I have been working hard to make sure that no West Virginian is left behind in the computer revolution. I look forward to continuing to work with the President to put computers in schools and libraries, ensure access to the best telecommunications technologies in every part of the country, and provide training for people who want high-tech jobs."
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