Rhode Island’s Democratic Congressional Delegation reacted with skepticism to President Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union Address:

Senator Jack Reed

“This speech sounded like a long, disjointed re-run.  President Trump mostly repackaged divisive themes, and made odd claims without evidence — like we’d be at war with North Korea if he weren’t elected — but failed to offer new solutions to move our nation forward.  His swipe at the former FBI Chief Robert Mueller’s independent investigation and congressional oversight of his administration was unbecoming in an address to the nation.

“If President Trump wants to bridge partisan divides, he can start with a bipartisan transportation-housing infrastructure bill that would literally help build bridges and uplift communities.  If he wants to help heal old wounds, President Trump should stop trying to eliminate Affordable Care Act protections for people with preexisting conditions and instead work with Democrats to bolster the law.

“The American people are right to be skeptical about President Trump’s passing call for unity, because they see how divisively he has governed.  They know the federal government is not functioning as it should; that the economy must do better for average Americans; and that we need smart, effective investments to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous.

“Tonight, we heard economic boasts using cherry-picked data.  But President Trump has chosen to enrich the wealthiest and shift a heavier economic burden on the middle-class.  Many working families filing their federal taxes this year are being hit with a bigger Trump tax bill in order to finance tax cuts for corporations and the powerful.

“President Trump inherited a growing economy on the upswing from President Obama and jeopardized much of the momentum with unsteady leadership.  As a result, economic gains have been uneven, and opportunities have been missed.

“He did share some stories of courageous individuals, from Holocaust survivors to members of the Greatest Generation.  And one area where we certainly have common ground is eradicating childhood cancer.   President Trump signed my Childhood Cancer STAR Act into law and I will continue working to deliver funding to help find new treatments, accelerate research, and improve outcomes for patients and families battling childhood cancer.  But it should be noted that he sought to shift money away from cancer research last year in order to cover costs associated with his family separation policy at the southern border.

“The American people deserve steady, stable leadership, a government that works, and elected officials who serve with integrity and uphold American values.

“It’s time to restore accountability and make government work again.  And in order to do that, Congress must provide meaningful oversight.

“I will continue advancing bipartisan solutions to raise wages, improve our schools, rebuild our infrastructure, lower drug prices and health care costs, and expand opportunities.

“I hope President Trump will change course and join Democrats in leading the country in a better direction, toward real bipartisan solutions that will improve the lives of all Americans, not just the wealthy and powerful.”

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse

“It’s hard to listen to a man with such a demonstrated inability to tell the truth — or even keep his word with members of either party — try to sell us on the idea that he’s now ready for bipartisanship and unity, that he’s poised to bring us together.  Trump’s fantasies about his wall, his deafening silence on climate change, and his Nixonian attack on Department of Justice investigators, did not help.  I do applaud his recognition of our soldiers and law enforcement officers for the terrific work they do, and am eager to help with childhood cancer, infrastructure, and lowered drug prices.  We’ll see how serious he is about those issues in the weeks ahead.

“Despite the chaos and corruption of the Trump administration, I will keep on with the real bipartisan work Congress has done on issues like opioid addiction, criminal justice reform, and protecting our oceans.”

Congressman James Langevin

“Tonight, President Trump had the opportunity to unite a nation riven by the trauma of an unprecedented 35 day government shutdown. While the President did touch on many important challenges facing our nation, too often he returned to proposals like a border wall that drive wedges between us, not those that bring the country together. His policies of division do not live up to his rhetoric of unity. Thankfully, our newly empowered Democratic majority is ready and willing to tackle infrastructure, prescription drug prices, and border security with sensible policies that work.

“Every day, Rhode Islanders experience the pains of our crumbling infrastructure. From increased traffic congestion to reduced economic investment, out of date infrastructure has real costs for people and businesses. I invited Stephen Cardi, one of our state’s foremost leaders in the construction industry, as my guest to the State of the Union because I believe investments in our infrastructure is an area where we can find common ground. There is bipartisan interest in rebuilding our transportation, communication and education infrastructure. But for two years, we have waited in vain for a substantial proposal from the President to make the needed investments and create high-skilled, high-paying jobs. We can wait no longer. I am excited to work with my Democratic colleagues to craft a real infrastructure proposal, and I will fight to ensure that funds are also allocated to career and technical education programs to train the workforce we will need to complete these projects. I hope the President will stay true to his word and engage with us in this process.

“Unfortunately, his willingness to work with Congress has been erratic at best. For 35 days, the President shut down portions of the government, including the Department of Transportation, in a vain attempt to build an unnecessary border wall. The President took 800,000 federal workers hostage in this misguided gambit. He has threatened to do it again when government funding runs out next Friday. This is simply unacceptable. I believe in strong border security, but I also recognize the inefficiency and futility of building a barrier to do it. Democrats believe in smart border solutions, including enhanced surveillance and more customs personnel. We also believe in humane immigration policies, including relief for the dreamers put in jeopardy by the President’s own actions. Yet, rather than looking to bring the country together and find a way out of this impasse, the President continued his divisive rhetoric – and his demand for a wall. Ours is a nation of immigrants, and it is long past time for the President to acknowledge the contributions made by the thriving communities of these aspiring Americans.

“I was grateful that the President did choose to touch on an issue of great importance to my constituents, that of rising prescription drug prices. Healthcare is a fundamental right, and we must do everything possible to ensure everyone has access to affordable, quality care. During his campaign for the White House, President Trump proposed allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices on behalf of its millions of beneficiaries. I have cosponsored legislation to do just that, yet, tonight, the President again failed to follow up on this campaign promise, instead making vague commitments to price transparency. My constituents know they’re paying too much. We need real reforms, not half steps that will continue to let drug companies off the hook and hit Americans in their pocketbooks.

“The President began his speech by reflecting on the decade-long economic expansion we have experienced. I agree that our economic recovery has been impressive, but the strength at the top belies the reality faced by many middle class families who have not seen their incomes rise in years. The President touted his tax cut as an area of unity, ignoring the fact that one hundred percent of the permanent benefits go to corporations – and that the vast majority of individual breaks go to the wealthiest of Americans. Democrats believe in a strong minimum wage. We believe that the hollowing out of the middle class, driven in part by increased costs for healthcare and education, must end. These are proposals that all of us can get behind, and they will ensure that every one gets a shot at the American dream.

“Finally, the President closed his address by recognizing the amazing talents of the members of our armed forces. I have often said that the defense of our nation is the area where we are most likely to find common ground, and I appreciate the President recognizing the sacrifices our soldiers, sailors, seamen, and marines have made and continue to make in service to our country. Yet his message of support stands in sharp contrast to his actions. He has regularly ignored the professional opinions of his military advisers and the assessments of our intelligence community, leading to the unprecedented resignation of the Secretary of Defense not two months ago. His statement that we would be in a war with North Korea but for his election is beyond puzzling. I know that we all agree on the need to support our troops and protect our national security, but the President must match his words with actions.

“I agree with President Trump that the politics of division do not do justice to our great nation and the legacy of our past leaders. I believe that we can find common ground with our colleagues from different backgrounds and different ideologies. More than that, I believe that we must work together now more than ever. Yet, despite the President’s speech, I cannot ignore his track record of the past two years. I pledge tonight to continue my efforts to find that common ground. I can only hope that, come next Friday, I find the President there with me.”

Congressman David Cicilline

“The President’s speech was long, self-absorbed, and divorced from reality. It was short on details but long on hypocrisy. The American people deserve better. Regardless of the President’s speech tonight, I will continue to fight for the priorities of Rhode Islanders – cracking down on corruption in Washington, raising wages by rebuilding our infrastructure, lowering healthcare and prescription drug costs, ending the epidemic of gun violence, and taking on the challenge of climate change.”