WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s State of the Union address:

“The Trump administration has worked hard over the last three years to strengthen our national security, unleash economic opportunity, and improve the quality of life of all Americans. The data is clear: they are smashing expectations and the future is bright.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, American workers and families are prospering. The unemployment rate is the lowest in half a century with more Americans employed than ever before. Since the election, more than 7 million jobs have been created and wages are rising with the lowest income Americans experiencing the greatest gains in their paychecks.

“We have invested in the strength of our military, and we’ve finalized three pivotal trade deals that strengthen America’s trading position for our farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers. There is no question that the state of our union is strong and there are myriad reasons to feel optimistic about our nation’s future. I thank the President for his leadership and will work with my Senate colleagues to continue building on this administration’s great work.”

To watch Risch's remarks directly following the President's address, click below:

To watch on YouTube, click here.

To download the video file, click here.

Background: 7 million jobs have been created since President Trump was elected. The unemployment rate is at a 50-year low, wages are rising, and more Americans are employed today than ever before. Republican tax reform has put more of Americans' hard-earned dollars back into their pockets, and the real take home pay for the average middle class family has grown by $5,000 in just 3 years.

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