Joyce Issues Statement on State of the Union Address

Applauds call for bipartisanship and pledges to continue working across the aisle to address challenges facing America

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) released the following statement on President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address:

“America cannot afford a repeat of the dysfunction we saw in Washington last month. Tonight, I was pleased to hear the President speak to policies both parties can support and encourage Congress to end the partisan divisions that have hindered effective lawmaking at the expense of the American people.

“Despite the recent partisan gridlock, I’m proud to say that the American economy continues to boom. Small business optimism recently hit its highest level ever recorded, manufacturing continues its historic growth streak and over three million jobs have been added since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law. Just last week, I was honored to join manufacturers from across the country in the Oval Office as President Trump signed a new Buy American Executive Order, building on the policies that have put American workers first again. I look forward to continuing to support pro-growth policies that have helped reignite our economy, fuel job creation, provide higher wages and give more Ohioans the opportunity to live the American Dream.

“One way to do that is to invest in our critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, water systems and the power grid, all of which provide benefits for workers, businesses and the economy. As someone who has consistently advocated for new and improved investment in our nation’s infrastructure, I applaud the President for echoing that priority in his address tonight.

“While the state of our Union is strong, the President also spoke to the challenges we face and more importantly, the opportunities before us to address them. The rising prices of life-saving medications like insulin are impacting the health of patients nationwide. Meanwhile, over the last 20 years, overdose deaths from opioids have increased almost six times, with Ohio among the top five states in the nation with the highest rates of opioid-related overdose deaths. One of the President’s guests tonight is an Ohio mother who fell victim to the opioid crisis, highlighting the need to battle this epidemic that continues to wreak havoc in our own backyards. You can learn more about her story here.

“For decades, partisan politics have prevented us from taking the necessary steps to fix our broken immigration system. As a lawmaker who has voted for both enhanced border security and to provide legal certainty for DACA recipients, I second the President’s call for bipartisan cooperation to end this stalemate. We have a unique opportunity to come together to support what our experts on the border say they need to address the suffering caused by the security and humanitarian crisis we have allowed to go on for far too long.

“We have a lot to accomplish this year to address the challenges facing our nation and to maintain the momentum we built with our pro-growth agenda last Congress, but I’m hopeful that my colleagues and I can put aside our differences and work together to find the necessary solutions. Our constituents deserve nothing less.”

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