Much was made of President Barack Obama’s call for bipartisan teamwork to boost the U.S. economy and secure the nation’s place in the world.
So, how did Tuesday’s speech play in the eyes of a freshman GOP lawmaker who campaigned against much of his agenda the past two years?
“I heard some things I liked, I heard some things that caused concern,” said Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, who replaced six-term Democrat Brian Baird early this month as Southwest Washington’s House member.
“I liked the part about consolidating or streamlining all the agencies with duplicative efforts,” Herrera Beutler said by telephone about 90 minutes after the address. “Let’s do it.”
She praised his call to correct a “flaw” in health care legislation that places extra reporting burden on small businesses (the IRS’ 1099 tax form).
What she didn’t fancy: More talk about economic stimulus and other spending she said the country just can’t afford.
“Basically, the first 30 minutes he talked about spending money,” she said.
It took nearly 20 minutes for Obama to coax a standing ovation, despite an attentive, less-hostile atmosphere than that seen previously in the packed House chamber, she said.
“(It) took him about half an hour to bring up that debt and deficit problem. …In my opinion, new stimulus funds, new investing, is not going to do anything,” she said.
“I didn’t hear a vision that’s going to get our 13-percent unemployment down” in Clark County, she said. “And that’s something that made me realize, we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
Not surprisingly, Washington’s two Democratic Party senators gave a more rosy review.
Sen. Patty Murray praised the president’s call to reboot America’s infrastructure and to relentlessly pursue new ideas and technologies — in his words, “to win the future … to do big things.”
“The importance of investing in Washington state’s future cannot be overstated,” Murray said in a press statement.
“From the Columbia River Crossing in Southwest Washington, to the North-South Freeway in Spokane, to the Mercer Street mess and mass transit throughout Seattle — we can’t stop making the investments we need to continue innovating and continue competing,” she said.
“… And we need to make sure the jobs and innovation of the future — like Washington state’s aerospace industry — continues to thrive and that they stay right here in the United States,” Murray said.
Sen. Maria Cantwell said the president’s domestic-heavy theme resonates back home.
“I was pleased by his emphasis on work force and education investments in our workers, his support for innovation, particularly for transitioning to a cleaner and more diverse energy system, and his commitment to getting America’s fiscal house in order,” Cantwell said in a press statement.
“Like President Obama, I am tired of America inventing many of the new clean energy technologies in solar, wind, even nuclear — only to see other countries reap the rewards and jobs that comes from manufacturing these products.,” she said. “Now is the time for Congress to put partisanship and old stale ideas aside and work together to change the future and capture the great market opportunity before us.
“Congress has hard work ahead and I hope that the spirit of cooperation we felt tonight will continue,” Cantwell said.
From Olympia, Washington’s governor also took encouragement.
“The President’s focus on the jobs of tomorrow bodes well for our state,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said in a press statement.
“As a global leader in — and major exporter of — technology, aerospace, life sciences, clean energy and other 21st century industries, Washington state is well-positioned to compete and win in the new, global economy,” she said.
District visit
By today, Herrera Beutler will fly West to begin an extended district visit, her first as the incumbent.
Before returning on Feb. 7, she has meetings planned at her Vancouver district office and will tour several counties.
She will host at least two Town Hall meetings, one each in Clark and Cowlitz counties, she said. Details are not yet set.
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” she said. “I need to see people at home.”
