Washington, DC – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union Address:

“I was pleased the President focused on the real long-term drivers of jobs: improving our infrastructure and education and fostering innovation. Improving opportunity throughout our country will make us all better off. I was also appreciative that the President addressed the critical issues of gun violence prevention and voting rights, two areas where we’ve experienced problems first hand in the Fourth District. Until every child can walk to school safely and every citizen can vote in an easy and timely manner, we will not have fulfilled our promise for a fair and equal democracy.”

Congressman Himes’ guest to State of the Union was Curtrina Murphy of Bridgeport. Last summer, Curtrina’s daughter was hit in the crossfire of a gun fight in Bridgeport as they walked hand-in-hand down the street in the middle of the afternoon. Ms. Murphy’s daughter was three years old at the time of the incident and has fully recovered from her gunshot wounds.