Contact: J.P. Duffy, Maria Donovan, 866-FRC-NEWS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 /Standard Newswire/ -- Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins released the following statement in response to President Obama's address to Congress:

"While the reaction to the President's speech was mixed, the reaction on Wall Street will be most telling of whether or not the President succeeded in infusing confidence into the nation's faltering economy.

"As President, it is incumbent upon Barack Obama to encourage the American people and help drive our nation's economy forward. That is, however, a difficult feat with one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake. Despite the hopeful talk designed to nudge the nation forward, the reality of bigger and more costly government is stopping many Americans dead in their tracks on the road to economic recovery.

"The bottom line is bigger government is bigger government regardless of the patriotism that is wrapped around it. The President's pork barrel spending bills and his speech tonight reflect a philosophy that says only massive government spending will cure our economic troubles. The President's call for fiscal responsibility rings hallow when the actions that follow only pile on more massive debt and mortgage away the future of our children and their children.

"We do applaud the President for focusing on reducing the dropout rates in America, for there is little hope for those who cannot enter the workforce with the most basic of skills. However, the key is not doubling the size of the Department of Education it is in restoring parental involvement in education by allowing parents to make the fundamental decisions about their child's education, whether it be charter schools, private schools or home-schooling. All children in America should be treated equally."