Congressman J. Randy Forbes (VA-04) released the following statement in response to the President's address to a joint session of Congress concerning the need to spur job creation:

"For more than two years, nearly one in ten Americans has been unemployed, unable to claim the dignity of hard work, devoid of economic opportunity, and lacking the basic ability to put food on the table.  This evening, the American people listened to the President put forth yet another plan from the Administration to create jobs.  The time for speeches has passed.  The government has tried its hand at job creation by pouring money on the problem, picking winners and losers in industry, and imposing regulations that have stifled growth.  It's now the American people's turn.  Private individuals, entrepreneurs, and companies create jobs, not the government.  The federal government can work as a partner in this effort by lifting unnecessary burdens on small businesses, encouraging entrepreneurial growth, and reforming and simplifying the tax code in order to foster a 'job creating' environment.  I look forward to working with anyone committed to crafting policies that help, not hinder, economic growth and job creation."