WASHINGTON, D.C. – Depending on what side of the aisle they’re on, Illinois politicians either praised or found flaws in President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address on Thursday night.
Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) said in a statement that since taking office three years ago, President Biden has put our country on a path of decline.
“The President’s open border policies are an unmitigated disaster and have created humanitarian and national security crises that are now reaching communities throughout Illinois. Working families in Illinois are also bearing the burden of radical energy policies, government overreach, and inflationary spending, while prices at the pump and in the grocery store have reached unbearable levels.”
LaHood says he agrees with President Biden that lawmakers must work together to address the threats from China, Iran, and other adversaries, as well as pass critical bipartisan provisions LaHood authored to boost low-income housing and provide relief to Illinois families.
However, LaHood says Americans heard much of the same failed rhetoric and policies from President Biden Thursday night.
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said after the State of the Union Address, that with President Biden at the helm, we have seen tremendous progress in our country.
“The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is building new infrastructure and pushing our transportation industry forward. Belvidere, Illinois, has its Stellantis operation up and running again and is awaiting a new battery plant because of the deal struck by UAW President Shawn Fain with the support of the White House. The PACT Act, championed by Congressional Democrats, will help our nation’s veterans lead healthier lives.”
But, Durbin says there’s still work to be done.
“Reproductive freedom and voting rights are under siege by conservative lawmakers nationwide, and Congressional Republicans are standing in the way of codifying equitable access to the ballot box and essential protections for reproductive health care into law,” Durbin says.
Durbin says he’s committed to working with his colleagues in D.C. and the Biden Administration to push these issues to protect the fundamental freedoms of all Americans.
Durbin says we have responsibilities abroad too, “ I agree with President Biden that we cannot shy away from supporting Ukrainians, who are still bravely staving off Putin’s advances more than two years after his unjust and unprovoked invasion. In the Middle East, we must put a serious effort behind negotiating a ceasefire by all sides that allows for the release of hostages and the delivery of critical aid to Gaza.”
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) says President Biden underscored the historic progress Democrats have made for working families Thursday night, with one of the fastest and strongest post-pandemic economic recoveries in the world in addition to efforts to bring down inflation, create millions of jobs and help middle-class families keep more of their money–despite Republicans getting in the way of it.
“As he reminded the nation of Republican’s hypocrisy on everything from border security to reproductive rights, President Biden also reminded us that the American people can achieve anything when we are united toward common goals rather than divided by fear and anger. I agree that we must continue to stand with the Ukrainian people as they fight for their lives against Putin, while we work to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza that both alleviates the suffering of innocent civilians and reunite hostages home with their families.
“While we’ve made great progress, I look forward to continuing our work to help make the President’s vision for the future of our nation a reality: a future that improves the lives of all working families, guarantees the right to IVF nationwide and fully restores Roe v. Wade, keeps our communities safe and ensures every American can achieve the American dream.”
Last week, Duckworth led a group of Senate Democrats in trying to pass her Access to Family Building Act –that would establish a statutory right to access IVF for all Americans who want to start or grow their families through In vitro fertilization–through unanimous consent, but the measure was blocked by U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi.
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