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STATEMENT: Rep. Ro Khanna on Trump's Speech to Congress

February 28, 2017

Washington, DC - Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) issued the following statement on President Trump's address to Congress this evening:

"Donald Trump once again lacked specifics. The time for promises is over; action must be the agenda now. If Trump truly wants to support working families and energize the American economy, we need to empower ordinary Americans. The rules of the economy must be rewritten. Instead of giving tax breaks to the most wealthy and big corporations, we need to provide relief to middle-class families, small business owners, and students. We cannot eliminate important government regulations that provide public safety, protect the environment, and ensure fair business practices.

"Trump spoke fondly of the innovations that America celebrated during its 1876 centennial. If we really want to support that next Bell, Edison, and Remington, we need to invest in apprenticeship programs and technical training programs that will help people fill the tens of thousands of open positions in the tech industry across the country.

"While I was pleased to see Trump recognize the importance of reducing the influence of special interests in Washington, his lobbying ban does not go far enough when his cabinet is a who's who of Wall Street billionaires and K Street deal makers. I hope he keeps his word and joins me in standing up to pharmaceutical lobbyists in order to lower the price of prescription drugs. We also need term limits and need to ban PAC and lobbyist money from the halls of Congress.

"I listened to the president tonight and will continue to do my constitutional duty to keep him accountable and serve my constituents."

About the Office

Congressman Khanna represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. Visit his website at khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.

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