Assembly Member Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) issued the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address:

“Our country and our state continue to face numerous obstacles on the road to recovery and prosperity. As President Obama outlined during his State of the Union address before Congress, we will need to work together to put people back to work and restore the American Dream we all strive for every day.

“I applaud the President’s blueprint for the economy, particularly his focus on clean energy and job training. We are doing our part in California by expanding the share of energy we get from renewable sources, but we cannot do it alone. We need the federal government to follow through on its promises to ensure the jobs we talk about today are jobs that people can move into tomorrow.

“I have authored AB 721 to expand the renewables portfolio standard to include solar energy projects. Solar is a growing industry that we need to jumpstart in order to stay competitive with other states and emerging economies abroad.

“That is why I am also such a strong support of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. We must prepare our children today with the skills necessary to make them competitive in the high-tech, clean energy industries of tomorrow.

“But we have people out of work now, and I agree with the President’s proposal to retrain out of work Americans for jobs that are available now. In California I supported a bipartisan measure to help get workers the skills they need to match them with employers who are looking to hire. SB 698 works with the public and private sectors, business, and labor groups to localize job training functions so each area’s unique needs are addressed.

“I look forward to continuing the work we have begun in California to achieve the goals President Obama has outlined for the nation. Together we can rebuild an economy that works for all Americans.”

Assemblymember Steven C. Bradford represents the 51st Assembly District, comprised of the cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, and Inglewood, and the communities of Athens, Lennox, South Central LA, Westchester, Willowbrook, Playa Vista, and parts of Ladera Heights and West Compton.