Members of Hawai'i's all-Democratic congressional delegation praised President Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress yesterday.

"President Obama laid out a bold plan to help our country recover from these tough economic times he inherited, and to emerge stronger, making long-term investments to improve healthcare, achieve energy independence and modernize our education system," Sen. Daniel Akaka said in a statement.

"I appreciate his honest assessment of the challenges our country is facing, his vision for the future, and his pledge of transparency as we move forward."

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye said by phone that he was glad to witness the speech.

"I thought the president was just fabulous, because as well as being candid, he was also uplifting. And I don't say these things too often, but I think his speech was inspiring," Inouye said.

Rep. Mazie Hirono noted that Obama focused on healthcare, energy self-sufficiency and education.

"I thought he struck the right tone, in terms of the challenges we're facing, and calling upon each of us to line up to the challenge, and we are not a nation of quitters," she said. "And so he combined what we need to do to revive our economy over the short term."

Rep. Neil Abercrombie said "the most important thing" was the "sense of confidence that he exuded on that floor."