WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Kelly, R-3rd, of Butler, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued a statement Tuesday in response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

It said in part:

“Disappointingly but not surprisingly, throughout tonight’s speech, we did not hear about the millions of Americans who’ve seen their health plans shattered by ObamaCare, including at least 250,000 Pennsylvanians; we did not hear about the 92 million Americans out of the work force, the most dire level since 1978; we did not hear about the $17 trillion of national debt that is threatening our children and grandchildren’s future every single day.

“These figures describe the real state of our union, and they are what the president would hear about if he actually listens to the people of Western Pennsylvania during his trip (today).

“As expected, tonight we did hear about the president’s willingness to use what he’s called his ‘phone and pen’ to push his unaffordable agenda, apparently regardless of popular will or congressional involvement.

“What most of us view as a system of checks and balances to cherish, the president seemingly sees as an inconvenience to ignore. This sort of attitude is inconsistent with our representative government’s founding purpose, and I will join my colleagues to oppose it whenever and however we must.

“Instead of threatening to circumvent Congress when the democratic process doesn’t go his way, President Obama should use his ‘phone’ to call Harry Reid in the Senate and insist that he approve the dozens of House-passed jobs bills stuck on his desk, and then use his ‘pen’ to finally sign those bills into law.”