Representatives Newhouse, Schrier React to President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Both local Congressional Representatives gave their reactions to President Biden's first State of the Union address.

4th District Representative Dan Newhouse said in a video taken outside of the capitol building that the president failed to provide any real solutions to overcome the many crises facing America and instead chose to focus on his infrastructure package and clean energy investments.

"All good stuff, right? But Americans are struggling to pay to heat their homes, to fill their tanks or to put food on their tables. No mention of those issues." Newhouse said, "And bragging about new and untested technologies to me is just out of touch."

8th District Congresswoman Kim Schrier said she is glad President Biden reaffirmed America's commitment to protecting freedom and democracy in Ukraine. She believes the U.S. is in a much better place than a year ago and it was critical that the president discussed his plans to lower costs for Americans.

A transcript of Representative Newhouse's video is as follows:

"President Biden’s first State of the Union address left a lot to be desired. While President Biden acknowledged the inflationary crisis and the current attack on Ukraine by Russia, he failed to provide any real solutions or recognize that serious policy reversals must be made if we are to overcome these crises. Instead, President Biden focused on his infrastructure package and touted his 'clean energy' investments.”

“Americans right now are struggling to pay to heat their homes, put gas in their tanks, or put food on their tables. Bragging about investments in new, untested technologies is just out of touch! Americans across the country, including 85% of Central Washingtonians who participated in my flash poll, believe the state of our union is worse off under President Biden’s leadership, and, thanks to his rhetoric, he has only divided our country further.”

“While none of this is good news, there is a silver lining here. Republicans are poised to take back the majority, and we have real solutions for these problems. And when we take back the Majority, we’re ready to deliver them to the American people.”

Representative Schrier's full statement is as follows:

“It was an honor to attend President Biden’s address in person tonight, and hear his vision for our country. This address comes at a time of global uncertainty, dramatically amplified by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. I’m glad that President Biden strongly reaffirmed America’s commitment to protecting freedom and democracy in Ukraine, and to continuing to work with our allies to help the people of Ukraine."

"It was critical that the President discuss his plans to lower costs for Americans. Economic trends and records are important indicators, but many of my constituents aren’t feeling it yet. And Washington families continue to struggle with high prices. He and I agree that we must bring down the cost of prescription drugs, especially life-saving drugs like insulin, and bring down the costs of everyday goods like gas and groceries. I’m glad that President Biden specifically addressed international shipping carriers, whose price gauging has directly impacted the cost of goods and allowed these companies to make record profits over the last two years. This cannot continue."

"Communities throughout my district are seeing increased crime, so I was particularly happy to hear President Biden’s plan to more than double the funding for local law enforcement hiring and training, which is similar to legislation I have sponsored. We are in a much better place than we were a year ago, with a rebounding economy, millions of Americans vaccinated, and children back in classrooms. We need to turn the corner on this pandemic and make sure that every American feels this success to build a better America.”