Rep. Adam Schiff reflects on State of the Union Address

On Wednesday, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), released the following statement in reaction to the President’s State of the Union address this evening before Congress:
“Tonight, the President laid out his vision for an improved economy and help for the middle class. While our economy is far better than it was in the midst of the Great Recession, we still have a long way to go – and by addressing wage stagnation, making education affordable to all and investing in our middle class, we can ensure that a strengthening economy brings prosperity to all families. By reforming our tax code and helping expand opportunity for the middle class, we can generate rising incomes and give everyone the chance to succeed.
“The President also addressed the complex national security challenges facing the country more than a decade after 9/11 and years after the death of Osama Bin Laden. The President appealed to Congress to authorize the use of force against ISIS and this is vital – but make no mistake, this is a debate and vote that should have taken place five months ago when we first began strikes against ISIS in Syria and began deploying troops to Iraq.
“The President must also continue to press for important reforms of the metadata program and FISA Court, both of which are essential to maintaining a proper balance between privacy and security, and which he alluded to in tonight’s speech.”
“These economic and national security challenges are real and we can meet them, provided we are willing to work together in a bipartisan way. I am determined to do my part, and hope that this Congress can become one of the most productive in years.”

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