Neither of southwest Michigan’s U.S. representatives are impressed with President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech. Speaking after the address Tuesday, Congressman Bill Huizenga told us he couldn’t discern a theme or pattern to what Biden addressed. It struck him as a wishlist of Biden priorities. However, he says Republicans can work with Biden on veteran’s issues and public safety. Biden got booed when he said some congressional Republicans want to sunset Social Security and Medicare.
“Rightfully so,” Huizenga said. “At the end, he sort of acknowledged that maybe this is off the table if everybody agrees that we need to preserve Social Security and Medicare, and my rhetorical question is I don’t know anybody who is looking at ending, but you’ve got a whole lot of us wanting to preserve it and extend it.”
Huizenga says Biden painted too rosy of a picture of the state of the economy. Meanwhile, Congressman Tim Walberg also says the speech was disappointing.
“It reflects a disconnect with the realities Americans are facing due to his failed policies,” Walberg said. “Over the weekend, an ABC News-Washington Post poll showed most Americans are worse off financially since Biden took office.”
Walberg says Washington “is divided on which path to pursue moving forward, but clearly, the American people do not agree with President Biden’s claim that this is a successful presidency.” He says Biden’s agenda has “fueled inflation, crippled our domestic energy sector, infringed upon freedoms Americans cherish, and created a power vacuum on the world stage.”
