Congressman Nolan Reacts to State of the Union Address

Nolan Discusses Iron Range Mining Crisis

Following President Obama’s State of the Union Address Tuesday night, FOX 21 got the chance to talk with Representative Rick Nolan while he’s in Washington, D.C.

Congressman Nolan tells us he thought the speech was sobering and liked the President’s emphasis on inequality in the workplace and climate change.

Nolan also tells us he is working closely with President Obama and his Chief of Staff to address the mining crisis on the Iron Range.

“We’ve got a 500 year future there, in mining, if we do it right and have the kind of trade laws that create a level playing field and allow us to compete,” Nolan says, “We can compete with anybody in the world as long as they’re not just dumping steel into our market.”

Nolan also says he is sponsoring a resolution supporting a National Strategic Agenda that lays out four goals for Washington he believes are vital to get to a thriving America.

The four goals are:
1. Create 25 million new jobs in 10 years
2. Secure Social Security and Medicare for another 75 years
3. Balance the Federal budget by 2030
4. Make America energy secure by 2024

Nolan says he was a businessman for 32 years of his life and using a business model to achieve goals should work for America, “If you don’t have some goals it’s pretty hard to establish a work plan because you’re not sure where the heck you’re going.”

The group supporting the resolution, No Labels, is made up of about 70 Democrats and Republicans. 

For more information on the resolution, head to nolabels.org.