Berks congressional members react to State of the Union address

President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

Members of the delegation representing Berks County issued the following statements, here’s what they had to say about the speech:

Sen. Bob Casey, a Lackawanna County Democrat

“When President Biden was inaugurated last year, he inherited a sluggish economy and a deadly pandemic. Since then, our nation has made great progress and as President Biden said tonight, the state of our union is strong.

“After two long years, we are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to President Biden’s leadership getting shots into arms, reopening schools and getting people back to work. The American Rescue Plan helped jumpstart our economy, put cash in people’s pockets and lifted millions of children out of poverty.

“Since President Biden took office, our economy has created an earth-shattering 7.1 million jobs. Congress then worked with President Biden to make a once-in-a-generation investment in rebuilding our Nation’s infrastructure, improving transportation across the country and expanding access to broadband and clean drinking water. These investments will spur economic growth in small towns across the nation, and rural and urban areas alike.

“President Biden has also addressed the situation in Ukraine with solemn responsibility and the serious response it merits. He has already shown the world that the United States stands up for democracy and will continue to work with global leaders to address Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. He has rebuilt trust with allies who had grown wary of the U.S. commitment to global peace and prosperity. In part, because of that, the international community has responded to Putin’s aggression with extraordinary unity.

“As our nation recovers, President Biden and Democrats will continue to lower costs for families and build on our strong economic recovery. We can lower the costs of goods by making more here in America and shoring up our supply chains so they reach American families faster. We can get Americans back to work by making child care more affordable and enabling seniors and people with disabilities to receive care in their own homes and remain active members of their communities. At the same time, we must raise the wages of the caregivers who provide essential care so they can support their own families. President Biden also made a strong commitment to strengthen nursing home accountability and transparency.

“I will continue to work with the administration to fight for improvements in quality and safety for nursing home residents and workers across the country. The work to make our nation more prosperous and just for all Americans is never truly over, but tonight President Biden laid out a strong and optimistic vision on how we build on the progress we’ve made. I look forward to working with him to make this vision a reality.”

Sen. Pat Toomey, a Lehigh County Republican

“President Biden began his speech tonight with a good message about Ukraine. I hope that his actions match his rhetoric, and he will impose the comprehensive sanctions against Russia that I, and my Republican colleagues, have urged.

“The president then went on to rehash a mostly partisan, liberal wish list, including the tax-and-spend agenda that recently failed in Congress.

“Tonight was an opportunity for the president to turn a new page towards the unity he promised our country when he first took office, but unfortunately, Americans got more of the same.”

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Chester County Democrat who also represents parts of Berks

“For those who watched the State of the Union last night, we heard a president who believes in the strength of the American people, as do I. For those who were not able to watch it, we heard bipartisan agreement on using technology to detect drugs and human traffickers at our southern border and fix our broken immigration system, supporting our brave law enforcement officers, prosecuting pandemic fraud, investing in domestic microchip manufacturing so we can proudly say ‘made in America’ from beginning to end, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and so much more. It was a message that reminded us we have so much more in common than some want us to believe. But I believe we can continue finding and expanding that common ground–I see it in our community every day.

“We also heard a defiant message to Putin: ‘Freedom will always triumph over tyranny.’ Several weeks ago, I had the honor of joining a bipartisan delegation in Ukraine, and I’ve come to know the leaders and the people of Ukraine as unbreakable spirits. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle stood together to show the world we are with them, and I fully support President Biden’s announcement to close air space to all Russian flights.

“Those in the room last night will not always agree with the president, and he acknowledged that in his humble manner as Pennsylvanians do. But I’m confident he is hearing the American people and will continue fighting for our families and our shared values of freedom and democracy.”

Source: Berkshire mont