State of the Union (January 2011)

As 2011 begins, the American economy is stronger than at any time since the Great Recession began in December 2007.

The nation’s federal courts are in crisis. Judicial vacancies have again topped 100, and more than two dozen circuit and district courts across the country are facing judicial emergencies. The time for partisan tit-for-tat in the confirmation of federal judges is over.

With millions of Americans still jobless, our country will tune in to the State of the Union tonight with keen ears for ideas that will create jobs and boost our economy.

In the last two years, more than one million foreign-born immigrants have found work in the U.S. Of those, 35 percent were illegal immigrants, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. During that same time, eight million Americans lost their jobs. So while Americans lost jobs, nearly 350,000 illegal workers were hired.

Tonight, the president of the United States will give his State of the Union Address. I won’t presume to guess what he will say, but I do know what the people of Florida’s 5th Congressional District need to hear.

As the three branches of the federal government sit together for this Tuesday’s State of the Union address, the message we hear will set the tone for what could be a new era of politics.