Kansas lawmakers react to State of the Union Address

The American people need look no further than their grocery receipts and bank accounts to understand the grave state of our union. President Biden’s policies have contributed to high inflation, driven up prices by more than 13 percent over the past two years and stifled American energy production – leading to higher energy bills and high gas prices.

The President recognized we have a serious fentanyl crisis here in our nation as thousands of people lose their lives to drug overdose. I support President Biden’s plans to increase screenings at points of entry along our border, but that will do nothing to stop the drugs that are being brought into the country through the unsecured points along our border. I recently visited the southern border, and it was clear that the administration’s policies over the past two years have exacerbated the crisis at the border.

While political rancor and gridlock are often the theme in Washington, D.C., supporting our veterans is a mission that often breaks through the dysfunction in Washington. Through a bipartisan effort, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee was able to pass an historic expansion of benefits and health care for all generations of veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. I appreciate President Biden signing this legislation into law, and I look forward to working with the administration to see that the PACT Act is implemented so that Kansas veterans receive the health care and benefits they deserve.

Our country’s strength at home projects strength abroad where it is sorely needed. As seen by Kansans and Americans last week, China is using its increasing capabilities to threaten and intimidate the United States and our allies; Russia’s war against Ukraine disregards international law and innocent civilian lives; Iran is at the edge of having the material necessary for nuclear weapons; and North Korea continues to develop its nuclear arsenal. If we don’t have leadership that utilizes our nation’s capabilities, we’ve lost our ability to defend our homeland against our adversaries.

The American people elected a politically-divided Congress not to continue the discord in Washington but to force their elected leaders to find common ground and commonsense solutions. When President Biden was running for office, he stated he would be a middle-ground President. I urge President Biden to work with elected officials across the aisle to pass policies that reduce inflation, find consensus on the border crisis and send a clear message to our adversaries that we are a strong, unified nation.

Wichita’s Blake Bell appearing in his second Super Bowl

Another Republican lawmaker, Congressman Jake LaTurner, also released a statement via press release:

For the past two years under one-party Democrat rule in Washington, Kansas families and small businesses have paid the price for President Biden’s failed agenda. Prices are rising faster than paychecks, fentanyl is flowing across our wide-open southern border, energy costs are soaring, and the President’s lack of strength on the world stage continues to threaten our national security. President Biden ignored the pressing issues facing our communities tonight and instead used this speech as an opportunity to applaud his administration’s reckless policies and woke initiatives. Americans want real solutions, and House Republicans will continue to deliver.”

Kansas lawmakers react to State of the Union Address

8 February 2023

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