Ranking Member Scott Statement on President Biden's State of the Union Address
WASHINGTON – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement in response to President Biden's State of the Union address to Congress.
“President Biden spoke directly to the American people about the historic economic progress we have made under his leadership and laid out a vision for the future which stands in stark contrast to the extreme MAGA Republicans’ agenda. Instead of passing tax cuts for corporations and billionaires, we have grown the economy by investing in working families. We fought to lower health care costs, prescription drug costs, energy costs and paid for it by making the wealthy and well-connected pay their fair share. We have seen a record 14.8 million jobs created since President Biden took office, the most for any presidential term. Inflation driven by the pandemic has come down, our economy’s GDP growth is well ahead of all of our peer nations, and the unemployment rate is at historic lows.
“As we reflect on the nation’s recovery from the pandemic, it is important to remember that we are here because of smart policy choices made by Congressional Democrats and the President. We are coming up on the third anniversary of the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, and we can see the tangible benefits it delivered for American families. For example, the American Rescue Plan made a historic investment in K-12 education – and as a result schools reopened safely, they have stayed open, and now school districts are using these historic investments to help students make up for lost time. Moreover, the American Rescue Plan saved nearly one million workers’ pensions, prevented thousands of businesses from going under, and shielded taxpayers from the even greater cost of a multiemployer pension collapse. And because Congressional Democrats and President Biden chose to invest in students, workers, and families and helped grow our economy from the bottom up and the middle out – our union is strong.
“President Biden also addressed the extreme right-wing attacks on reproductive freedom. I was proud to invite Dr. Rohini Kousalya Siva, a graduate of Eastern Virginia Medical School and the President of the American Medical Student Association, to be my guest at tonight’s address. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, we have seen relentless attacks on reproductive freedom across the country including the most recent efforts to restrict access to in-vitro fertilization services. Dr. Koulsaya Siva has highlighted how these extreme right-wing attacks on abortion and reproductive health care will have disastrous consequences for women’s health across the country. I support the President’s call to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law.
“I was also grateful to hear President Biden reiterate his calls for an immediate and temporary ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas War that would see the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas and allow desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. I am also pleased to hear that the President is committed to using as many tools as possible to ensure aid reaches Palestinian civilians. He also made clear that Republicans must stop doing former president Trump’s bidding and pass the bipartisan deal that would secure our border. Republicans must also stop obstructing passage of critical aid to Ukraine to help defeat Russia’s invasion. Guaranteeing a Ukrainian victory against Putin is imperative to prevent a wider conflict in Europe that would likely require American boots on the ground. He also emphasized the need to invest in our national security, and that means making investments in ships to be built in Hampton Roads.
“Perhaps most importantly, President Biden reminded the country that he believes America is a story of progress and resilience. He has signed historic bipartisan laws to invest in infrastructure, domestic manufacturing, gun safety, health care for veterans, LGBTQ equality, and much more. In that spirit, I remain optimistic that both Democrats and Republicans can build on that progress and secure an even stronger future for students, workers, families, and our economy.”
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Originally released by Ranking Member Scott's personal office
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