Rep. Jim Himes, D-Greenwich, gave President Obama high marks Tuesday for the president emphasis on jobs, infrastructure and education in his State of the Union speech.
Himes, who made the evening a bipartisan “date night,” sat next to a Republican House member, Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., whom he said he has gotten to know.
Seating in the House is helter-skelter, with no assigned seats to members, unlike the Senate, where each of the 100 lawmakers has a separate desk.
“People are always talking about job creation, but the president’s remarks dealt with government actions that could actually improve the job picture,’’ Himes said.
Obama’s comments about jobs and infrastructure rebuilding brought bipartisan applause, Himes said. “Education, less so,’’ because of traditional Republican caution about the government’s role in education.