Cal Dooley, CEO and president of the American Chemistry Council, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s State of the Union message:

“The American Chemistry Council, on behalf of our member companies and their 850,000 employees nationwide, welcomes the strong commitment to job creation and economic recovery that President Obama pledged in his State of the Union message.

“American chemistry is behind many of the innovations and new technologies that will help create jobs, drive economic growth and achieve the goals articulated by the president: more clean energy sources; improved infrastructure; more efficient transportation options; medical advancements that help to bring down the cost of health care; and even a strong defense. All are made possible, in part, thanks to the discoveries of the chemistry industry, and they are goals that we can all agree upon.

“Our ability as an industry to compete in an expanding global market and create the high-skilled, high-paying domestic manufacturing jobs the nation needs and advance national goals by continuing to innovate and create new products is directly related to striking the right balance with respect to regulation. While we were encouraged that the president again called for a review of the federal rules imposed on businesses, we urge the president and Congress to look beyond individual regulations, and to reform the process itself to ensure there is sound economic impact analysis and consistent standards for scientific quality, reliability and relevance. Only by improving the process, can we ensure rational, balanced regulatory outcomes.

“We look forward to learning more about the details of the proposals outlined by the president last night, and hope that the administration and Congress will keep the consequences for innovation, future investment in the U.S., particularly in the manufacturing sector, and American employment fully in mind as tax, spending and regulatory policies are further developed.”