House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) said overcoming the opportunity inequality gap is one of the biggest challenges facing America in her rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday.
“Because our mission – not only as Republicans, but as Americans – is to once again ensure that we are not bound by where we come from, but empowered by what we can become,” Rodgers said. “That is the gap Republicans are working to close. It’s the gap we all face: between where you are and where you want to be…”
Rodgers was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1994. She was re-elected four times and rose to the rank of house minority leader before she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004.
“Every day, we’re working to expand our economy, one manufacturing job, nursing degree and small business at a time,” Rodgers said. “We have plans to improve our education and training systems so you have the choice to determine where your kids go to school…so college is affordable…and skills training is modernized.”
Rodgers also identified a step-by-step solution to immigration reform as a priority. Securing borders and attracting the best, brightest and most hard-working people from around the world is crucial to the country’s future, Rodgers said.
In a recent interview with the Ripon Society, Rodgers outlined the importance of engaging the public through social media channels to glean input on issues like immigration, healthcare and the economy.
“As we look ahead, we will rely heavily on new media to take the country’s ‘pulse’ on the most pressing issue of all: jobs and the economy,” Rodgers said. “We want to hear how current policies are affecting everyday Americans and what they want Congress to do to help them create jobs. Getting Americans back to work is our top priority, and we’ll use every new media tool we can to get their feedback about how best to achieve it…”