Velázquez On President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Washington, D.C.— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address:
 
            “During his first three years in office, President Biden has made it his mission to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out. Tonight, he clearly laid out how far our economy has come since he took office. Since 2021, the U.S. economy has created 14.8 million jobs, unemployment remains near 50-year lows, wages are up, and entrepreneurs are starting small businesses at record rates.
 
            “At the same time, President Biden has prioritized lowering costs for working families. Over the past three years, Democrats have fought corporate price gouging, taken on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug costs and cap the price of insulin, and reduced Americans’ energy costs through the Inflation Reduction Act. These outcomes were no accident. They were the result of a progressive agenda on the part of the President and Congressional Democrats that prioritized working families.
 
            “Tonight, President Biden also laid out a vision for the future where the middle class comes first, and the biggest corporations and wealthy no longer get all the breaks. I was pleased to see the President express support for policies like giving teachers a raise, restoring the Child Tax Credit, instituting universal background checks, passing voting rights legislation, and raising the corporate minimum tax rate. I am prepared to work with the President and fellow members of Congress to fulfill these commitments and more, such as combating climate change, reducing healthcare expenses, and improving access to secure and affordable housing.
 
            “The President was also clear-eyed about the challenges we face as a nation. From threats to Democracy at home and abroad to Republican attempts to gut the safety net programs Americans rely on, our country faces a range of pressing threats. During his speech, he also highlighted the ongoing assault on reproductive rights across the country and the threat this poses to women everywhere.
 
            “My Democratic colleagues and I are doing all we can to protect reproductive rights, and I agree with the President that Congress must codify the rights of Roe v. Wade. That’s why I was proud to host my constituent Dr. Meera Shah, Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, as my special guest for the State of the Union. People like Dr. Shah are on the frontline of the battle for reproductive rights for all and have emerged as a beacon of hope for women navigating a post-Roe America.
 
            “As the President said tonight, ‘there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together’. I look forward to continuing to work with the President and my Democratic colleagues to advance an agenda that always puts working families first.”  
 

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