WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-NM, released the following statement in reaction to tonight's State of the Union address by President Obama:
"Tonight President Obama outlined a vision for rebuilding our economy that puts hardworking Americans back to work, inspires innovation at home and ensures our country's global competitiveness for decades to come. We must turn a corner in rebuilding America. And New Mexico stands ready to lead the way - with a strong tradition of innovation in many of the priorities outlined by the President, in particular, the development of clean energy technologies.
"I was also pleased to hear the President discuss the need for increased transparency and responsiveness in government. We must make government work better for the American people. That begins with the U.S. Senate. And that's why, for the past year, I have led an effort to institute Senate rules reform - and why I will continue to work with my colleagues to make the Senate more open and accountable to the American people.
"Finally, any discussion of our future as a nation must include an honest assessment of our current war effort in Afghanistan. I had hoped to hear more detail from the President about whether he believes we're on track to meet the ‘accelerated transition' timeline he established for redeployment of our troops this summer. The bottom line is this: our military commitment in Afghanistan must not be open-ended - both for the safety of our fighting men and women and the success of equally important domestic and national security priorities."
