Delmarva Lawmakers React To President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Statement from Congressman Andy Harris, R- Md. 1st:

“This speech was full of false claims and more of the same false promises of ‘free’ things that the president claimed will cost no one anything. Americans know better – they know that uncontrolled spending is what drove up inflation. There was lots of lip service, but there were no real plans to cut inflation, reduce the price of gas at the pump, stop the growth of crime, and stem the flow of fentanyl across our southern border that is killing our youth. This administration continues to disregard seriously dealing with what is really on the minds of hard-working Americans.”

Statement from Senator Tom Carper, D-Del.:

“In times of crisis, true leaders rise to the moment and lead with courage. In his State of the Union address tonight, President Biden demonstrated that kind of profound leadership—and underscored just how far we have come as a result. 

“On President Biden’s inauguration day, we had administered about 20 million shots in arms protecting against COVID-19—since then, we’ve administered over 550 million life-saving vaccines. When President Biden took office, we were grappling with the worst recession since the Great Depression—now, his first year was the greatest year of job creation in American history, with over 6.6 million jobs added to our economy. One year ago, we had retreated from the world stage and our relationships with allies and partners were strained—now, the United States is working side-by-side with our allies, unified to support the people of Ukraine and hold Putin accountable for his atrocities. And for years, previous Administrations failed to address our crumbling infrastructure—but now, the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering clean drinking water, good-paying jobs, safer roads, highways, and bridges, all while connecting communities across our nation.

“As the President underscored tonight, while we’ve come a long way since last year, we still have a ways to go. American families across our country are feeling the squeeze of higher costs as a result of the ongoing pandemic. In response, the President laid out a thoughtful plan tonight that will help lower everyday costs for Americans by strengthening our supply chains and reducing out-of-pocket costs for middle class families—including for prescription drugs and child care. 

“And while the world feels the scorch of an impending climate crisis, the President made clear tonight that only bold action can help to save our planet while creating clean energy jobs and fostering economic growth for years to come.

“There are a great deal of challenges facing our nation. But when we look at how far we’ve come in the past year, I’m confident that no one is better suited to lead us as we meet this historic moment—no one is better suited to build a better America—than President Biden. In the meantime, I’m ready to get to work with his Administration and Republicans and Democrats in Congress to help us get there.”

Statement from Senator Chris Coons, D-Del.:

“Tonight, President Joe Biden showed the American people why he is the right President for this moment. He has worked tirelessly building a safer, healthier, and more resilient America. He has put our country on a path to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, rebuilt our relationships with partners and allies, made generational investments in building a cleaner economy that works for all Americans with the American Rescue Plan and bipartisan infrastructure bill, and capped off his record-setting first year of confirmed new judges with the historic nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. 

“We also heard tonight from a president who understands the struggles that too many working Americans are facing. Even as our economy sees record-setting growth and historically low unemployment, families are feeling the pain of high prices, a pandemic in its third year, and natural disasters that are increasing in frequency and severity. President Biden made clear that he is tackling the urgent challenges of today, from lowering costs for working families to bolstering domestic manufacturing and reasserting American leadership on issues of security and climate. In particular, I was glad to hear him highlight the extraordinary need for additional support for students across the country and call for Americans to step up to serve as tutors and mentors—roles AmeriCorps today facilitates for approximately 65,000 members and volunteers in roughly 12,000 schools.

“The address we heard is a call to help create a nation where working Americans are finally front and center, where we build on the economic progress of the past year and create an economy that grows from the bottom up and the middle out. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to making that America our reality. Thanks to President Biden, I’m confident our best days are yet to come.”   

Statement from Senator Ben Cardin, D-Md.:

“I was proud to witness President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address at the Capitol. He talked clearly about how the world is united in support of Ukraine, as Russia continues its unprovoked and deadly attacks, and how ‘freedom will always triumph over tyranny.’ Thanks to the president and his aggressive diplomacy, Vladimir Putin is isolated and he and his oligarchs are feeling the sting of worldwide sanctions.

“The president also was honest with the American people about the challenges facing our economy as we strive to emerge from pressures of the pandemic, and how he is working to lower costs for working families, especially in areas like child care, health care and prescription drugs, and food. He laid out a plan to grow our economy even more than the historic gains of the last year, including investing in American manufacturing and research, investing in small businesses and investing in the American people. He spoke about how the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is rebuilding a better America, creating jobs here at home and strengthening the foundations of our communities while protecting our environment and making our neighborhoods more resilient. And he outlined steps to ‘protect our communities, restore trust, and hold law enforcement accountable.’ 

“What made me most proud is how President Biden spoke to all Americans about our shared future not from a partisan place, but as one people – the United States of America.”