Rep. Rick Larsen, WA-02, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union address:

“As the economy has recovered, too many Americans have been left behind. The President laid out a compelling case for why we need to open up economic opportunities for more people.

“Let’s start by raising the minimum wage. Congress should raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and tie future wage increases to inflation. It is unacceptable that millions of people are working full-time at the minimum wage but still living in poverty. It’s time for a change.

“The President’s executive action to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors is a welcome start which will hopefully encourage private companies to follow suit.

“Ultimately we need to refocus on investing in the middle class, making sure that all students have the opportunity to get a good education, all workers have the opportunity to get a good job, and all Americans have the opportunity to live with security and dignity.”