Oklahoma ties: State's congressional delegates react to State of the Union speech

Members of Oklahoma's all-Republican congressional delegation responded Tuesday to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech:

• Rep. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City: “President Obama once again demonstrated his ability to deliver a rousing speech, but it is obvious that his policies won’t deliver a rousing economy. The majority of the priorities and solutions he proposed tonight are not in line with the realities facing American families. Many of the proposals the President laid out are already in action in Oklahoma. We do not need a federal mandate for our state to do what we already do well.

“In his inaugural address a few weeks ago and again tonight, the President posited that we can care for this generation while still investing in future generations. With more and more people retiring every day, Americans living longer and an entire generation of baby boomers about to begin drawing Social Security and Medicare, our current entitlement system simply will not exist for future generations without significant reform.”

• Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Tulsa: “If Washington is serious about job creation and a strong middle class, the President should look to my home state of Oklahoma. Our unemployment rate has remained near full employment. Why? It's because of our thriving energy sector, an industry the President is attempting to kill with his liberal climate change agenda and his relentless war on fossil fuels.”

• Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore: “President Obama's assessment of the state of our union fails to appreciate the gravity of our economic challenges. Debt reduction is the defining issue of this decade, yet the president continues to avoid proposing serious, specific solutions. Instead of taking the opportunity to be honest with the American people about the magnitude of our fiscal challenges and the danger they pose to Medicare and Social Security, President Obama largely ignored tough issues in favor of ‘modest reform' ideas and false promises that require spending we can't afford.”