WASHINGTON D.C.-President Obama, last night, addressed a joint session of Congress, laying out a jobs plan that the White House is sponsoring in the hopes of putting Americans back to work and boosting the ailing economy.

The President pushed at Congress to put partisanship aside and work to put America back to work. As he began speaking, this is what he had to say, “The people of this country work hard to meet their responsibilities. The question tonight is whether we’ll meet ours. The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy; whether we can restore some of the fairness and security that has defined this nation since our beginning.”

Throughout his speech, he constantly pressed Congress to work to pass the act, stating, “I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away. It’s called the American Jobs Act. There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation. Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans – including many who sit here tonight. And everything in this bill will be paid for. Everything.”

Obama pointed out the fact that Washington has already moved into campaign mode for the elections next year. He urged the joint session to put aside politics and in a joint effort pass legislation that he says is needed by the American public, in an attempt to stir Congress into action, he said, “But know this: The next election is 14 months away. And the people who sent us here – the people who hired us to work for them – they don’t have the luxury of waiting 14 months. Some of them are living week to week; paycheck to paycheck; even day to day. They need help, and they need it now.”

Our delegates, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Mark Begich, and Representative Don Young, immediately spoke out in statements in response to that jobs speech.