Congressmen and Senators react to the State of the Union Address
Reaction largely split along party lines
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KYMA, KECY) - The Desert Southwest's Congressional delegation is reacting to President Donald Trump's third State of the Union Address. Predictably, their support, or opposition, largely followed party lines.
Republican Congressman Paul Gosar, who represents Arizona's 4th District, is a staunch Trump supporter. He sent out this tweet in response to the President's address:
.@realDonaldTrump: Our spirit is still young; the sun is still rising; God's grace is still shining; and my fellow Americans, the best is yet to come! #SOTU pic.twitter.com/qtFSJUPg9J
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) February 5, 2020
Gosar later tweeted harsh criticism of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's reaction to the speech.
What a sad display of extreme partisanship following such a unifying message. This is today’s Democratic Party: pic.twitter.com/YV42pWMDBq
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) February 5, 2020
Democratic Representative Raul Grijalva serves Arizona's 3rd District. He's been a vocal critic of President Trump's policies and behaviors. Grijalva issued this video statement on Twitter:
Impeached President Trump only knows how to stir division and treat #SOTU like a campaign rally.
— Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) February 5, 2020
Meanwhile, the American people are struggling to figure out their future
We deserve better.
Watch my video statement below. pic.twitter.com/ANinbM1Z8O
Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema is also a Democrat, but she struck a more conciliatory tone in her post-address statement:
Statement on the State of the Union address: pic.twitter.com/3a7ObsV0eg
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) February 5, 2020
Republican Senator Martha McSally tweeted this photo of herself and her special guest just before the address:
Getting ready for #SOTU2020 with my guest, Hope Harrison, & her beautiful daughter, Heaven. Tonight, we honor the memory of Hope’s husband, Dustin, who was killed in a terrorist attack last month while supporting our troops in Kenya. His sacrifice will not be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/bUelgv8CEn
— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) February 4, 2020
McSally did not release an officials statement after the President's speech, but she did join Trump in saluting some special Arizonans.
Iain Lanphier of Scottsdale has a bright future ahead of him. The great-grandson of Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee, Iain dreams of joining our nation’s new @SpaceForceDoD. Keep working hard, Iain, and you will achieve your dream! pic.twitter.com/8bFEaP3gzs
— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) February 5, 2020
Kayla Mueller of Prescott made it her life’s mission to serve others. Last Oct., our Special Forces team killed her former captor, terroist leader al-Baghdadi, in a mission named after Kayla. Tonight, her parents, Carl & Marsha Mueller, were honored by @POTUS for their patriotism pic.twitter.com/sIOkZIeavF
— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) February 5, 2020
California Senator Kamala Harris, a Democrat, reminded her constituents that Trump spoke from beneath the cloud of impeachment in her statement. Harris wrote:
“The State of the Union address is an opportunity for the president of the United States to speak candidly about the challenges our nation faces and the direction he or she intends to take in the year ahead. Unfortunately, President Trump chose tonight to deliver a divisive speech that ignored the real challenges that working people continue to face to make ends meet. His remarks also failed to acknowledge the ongoing threat that his own actions pose to the integrity of our system of justice.
“The president spoke this evening before members of the very institution he is currently on trial for obstructing—the United States Congress. As a member of the United States Senate, I have spent the past few weeks considering the consequences of the President’s efforts to escape Congressional oversight and block the testimony of firsthand witnesses in his impeachment trial. We heard a lot of words from the president tonight, but his actions demonstrate his complete disregard for the rule of law and for the principle that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States.”
Statement by Sen. Kamala Harris, (D) California
Harris' colleague, Senator Diane Feinstein, also a Democrat, spurred President Trump to action in her statement. In included a lengthy list of priorities she feels he needs to attend to in the final year of his first term.
After listening to President Trump’s State of the Union, here’s what I think he (and Congress) need to focus on as he enters the final year of his term. pic.twitter.com/b0icWKUgCo
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) February 5, 2020
Congressman JuanVargas, a Democrat who represents the Imperial Valley, did not release an official statement on the State of the Union Address.
