Cummings, Lee and Lewis on the Obama's State of the Union; Waters on Haiti

Feb. 1, 2010, 12:30 a.m. - Rep. John Lewis, a Georgia Democrat, released this statement following President Barack Obamas State of the Union address to Congress.

Tonight I think the president set a high mark, and it is up to us, the members of the House and the Senate, to meet that mark. I have been to all the state of the union addresses given by all the presidents of the last 22 years. I think this is one of the best I have ever witnessed. President Barack Obama spoke in an inspiring, uplifting, and powerful way. He reached beyond the walls of Congress and spoke directly to the American people.

He acknowledged their frustrations with government and their struggles to make ends meet in a difficult economy. He let them know he sees their character and their courage. He asked that this Congress use the people they represent as their example. He asked us to sacrifice as they have sacrificed, to put aside petty differences and politics to accomplish the hard tasks ahead of us on their behalf.

He said we have to be more than concerned about the next election. We have to look out for the next generation. This is not the time for campaigning and rhetoric; it is time to get down to the business of governing. I was glad that he had strong words for the Senate, which has not been able to move on good opportunities to bring the kind of change Americans are seeking. The House has done its part by responding to many of the peoples needs with legislative action. We are hoping the Senate can finish the job.

President Obama issued a mandate on jobs, education, the middle class, small business, war and nuclear disarmament, fiscal responsibility, as well as health care. He affirmed that members of Congress must come together and get the work of the people done. And I believe his words and his proposals give us a platform to unify and begin to work on and pass some of the legislative ideas the President presented tonight.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee Releases Statement on President Obamas State of the Union Address to Congress

Rep. Barbara Lee, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and a California Democrat, released this statement following President Barack Obamas State of the Union address to Congress.

The president delivered a great speech tonight. Though our country faces significant problems and we have a long road to economic recovery, President Obama has accomplished a great deal in the last year, especially when you consider the horrific challenges he faced upon taking office.

His bold decision to stay the course on issues such as comprehensive immigration reform, energy independence and education reform is exactly the kind of ambition we need during these trying times.

As the president stated tonight the most paramount of these issues is jobs. So, we must address this issue head on. With unemployment at record levels particularly in communities of color, we must put in place concrete solutions that will help generate sustainable job creation. The utilization of small, minority and women-owned businesses will be critical to overall job growth - and the presidents proposals reflect that fact.

I agree with President Obama that we must address the deficit that he inherited, but I disagree over how we should do it. Instead of freezing non-defense discretionary spending, we need to focus on bloated unnecessary Pentagon spending and cost savings for ending the wars which have already cost us over $1 Trillion.

Many of my colleagues and I are concerned about the impact of this freeze on jobs and the economy. At this critical time we should be doing more direct government investment to create more job opportunities.

Rep. Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, has returned to the United States after wrapping up a three-day mission in and around Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Concerned about the death and devastation caused by the earthquake and eager to evaluate the progress of recovery and aid distribution efforts, Congresswoman Waters made arrangements to travel to Haiti without requiring the State Department or military to divert resources to support her trip.

While there, she visited a number of the makeshift hospitals and refugee camps that have sprung up around the capital.

Words cannot adequately describe the ongoing humanitarian disaster that is unfolding in Haiti, said Waters. The earthquake has left behind untold levels of death, despair, and outright destitution. Though I am encouraged by the thousands of military, government, and nongovernmental operations that are happening all over the country, there is a critical need for macro-level organization and coordination of the relief effort.

During her time in Haiti, Waters met with Haitian President René Préval, officials from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Department of Defense, representatives from the United Nations (UN) and the World Food Programme (WFP) and staff from numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

Waters observed that many organizations and individuals are attempting to respond to the crisis in Haiti. Many of these various organizations are convening in cluster meetings, an internationally recognized disaster response mechanism. But she concluded there is an overwhelming need for better communication among the various entities and a coordinated response, despite the valiant attempts of all the parties involved. One major obstacle hampering operations in the country is the extensive damage to infrastructure such as buildings, telecommunications, roadways, and the port, which the Congresswoman said has resulted in a logistical nightmare.

In addition to gathering information, Waters was able to secure direct assistance for people in need by picking up the phone and requesting help. For example, a call from the congresswoman to USAID resulted in two tents and other medical supplies provided by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which deployed its urban search and rescue team to Haiti to assist with rescue and recovery efforts for the health NGO Amer-Haiti and the National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians (NOAH) that are seeing up to 300 patients a day. Within hours of receiving the new equipment, their teams performed an operation to save a pregnant woman and her child.

USAID and the L.A. County firefighters, who acted heroically and bravely for more than 10 days in Haiti, were able to come through again for those patients, and I was glad that I could make a difference for even a few people, but of course millions of people in Haiti need our help now said Waters. Although that mother and her baby are fine, the concern for them and for the thousands of other patients in and around Port-au-Prince is their ongoing care. We need to continue to deliver clean tents, medical supplies, and health personnel so that the hundreds of amputations and other major surgeries being conducted around the clock can be as safe and successful as possible.

Basic survival remains an immediate concern for Haitians right now. Access to food, water, and medical supplies is sporadic, and shelter and open space continue to be in high demand. President Préval estimates that the country needs approximately 250,000 tents to adequately house Haitians in need. Waters said, tents are absolutely essential because the impending rainy season will further spread disease and increase exposure to the elements if people are not adequately sheltered. Tents must be at the top of the short-term priority list.

Additionally, experts on the ground continue to raise concerns about reaching victims in the outlying, mountainous areas of the capital. Some areas of Port-au-Prince have been inaccessible for deliveries of food, water and supplies.

What has really resonated with me since returning home is the need for the international community to engage in robust and sustained recovery and rebuilding efforts for Haiti, said Waters. The outpouring of initial support from the international community has been so heartfelt and overwhelming, and I know that the Haitian people are extremely grateful. I am pleading with every individual, NGO, corporation, and government worldwide to continue to look into their hearts, into their schedules and into their wallets to find out how they can help.

Waters vowed, I plan to double my efforts to assist Haiti in Washington. In addition to introducing legislation to completely cancel Haitis debt from multilateral financial institutions and other international creditors, I will work closely with former president and UN Special Envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and my colleagues in Congress to continue to pursue creative and substantive ways to assist the country during its immediate time of need and in the months and years ahead.