Washington, DC – Here is a statement about tonight’s State of the Union address from Ethan Rome, executive director of Health Care for America Now, the nation’s leading grassroots health care advocacy organization:

“President Obama laid out a clear, sensible vision to restore the health of America’s economy, create jobs and address the income inequality that is weakening our nation. America needs to rally around this plan.

“But before the President even walked into Congress tonight, the Republicans were trash-talking his speech. They're too busy trying to hurt him politically instead of helping the country with real ideas and a willingness to roll up their sleeves and get things done.

“Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who took a break from his campaign to silence workers' voices on the job to give the GOP rebuttal, showed that the Republicans' priority is to gain political advantage no matter how badly that might hurt America’s families and businesses. Daniels recycled tired Republican rhetoric and bankrupt ideas to cover up the GOP's relentless assault on the middle class.

“Daniels can't hide the record. The Republicans have opposed making health care affordable, they’ve blocked every effort to create jobs, they’ve been trying to undermine the laws that hold banks accountable and they’ve rejected every step needed to revitalize the U.S. economy.

“As the Republicans pursue their toxic brand of hyper-partisan politics to help the 1 percent and the wealthiest corporations and ignore the rest of us, President Obama outlined concrete plans to give everyone a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.”

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Health Care for America Now is the nation’s leading grassroots health care advocacy organization. HCAN led the fight to win passage of health reform and to keep Congress from being steamrolled by corporate special interests.