As you know, President Obama will speak directly to Congress and the nation tonight in his annual State of the Union address. While I am expecting specific plans to be discussed – middle class tax breaks, the availability of higher education, and paid sick leave – these sit under an overarching theme: creating an economy that works for everyone. I hope Congress will take note of this theme and work together to pursue this worthy goal throughout the year.  

Since our economy and the stock market collapsed in 2008, we have seen a very slow - but steady - recovery. Our nation’s economy has slowly improved over the past few years, in the big picture, but too many families are still struggling or not feeling the effects of this recovery. Although we have seen record highs in the stock market, record lows in the nation’s uninsured rate, and 58 straight months of private sector job growth, the middle class and those working to entire it continue to struggle.

What I hope to hear from the President tonight is a real plan to raise wages for those who drive our economy, the strongest force the world has ever known – the American middle class. And after that plan is revealed, I hope Congress takes an active role in putting aside our differences and finding common ground to turn elements of that plan into reality.

Wall Street has enough people and special interests taking care of its needs. It’s time the rest of us are heard as well. I will continue to champion an economy that works for everyone, and I stand ready to defend the financial stability of working families. That means focusing on policies that empower Main Street, not Wall Street.

What do you hope to hear from the President tonight? What are your priorities for Congress to tackle in 2015? Let me know by connecting with me on Facebook.

If my office can be of service to you or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. My door is always open.

Thanks, as always, for reading,