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Pallone Statement on State of the Union

February 6, 2019

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement in response to President Trump's State of the Union address.

"Tonight, President Trump doubled down on the extreme rhetoric and policies that have defined his administration. While the president claimed to be seeking unity, he failed to present the necessary proposals to bring our country together.

"For more than a month President Trump shut down our government for an extreme and unnecessary border wall. Tonight, it is clear the president has not learned his lesson and that he is willing to risk another costly shutdown to get this way. We can debate the future of our nation's immigration system but doing so by threatening to close the government is irresponsible and dangerous.

"While the president continues to mislead the public, the GOP Tax Scam continues to be a disaster for average Americans working to make ends meet. Numerous reports and studies have shown that the scam has had no impact on job creation and has increased the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars. We should be striving to help working families, not giving budget busting tax breaks to the rich while calling for cuts to programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

"The President claims that he wants to make health care more affordable, but he refuses to stop sabotaging our health care system, which drives up costs and undermines critical protections for people living with pre-existing conditions.

"I was encouraged to hear the President mention investing in infrastructure and lowering the cost of prescription drugs during his address. Still, President Trump has made similar overtures in the past without following through with actual proposals to get results. Since these are both key priorities of the new Democratic House Majority, I'm hopeful we can work together to strengthen our economy and provide some real relief to New Jerseyans.

"Just as disturbing as what President Trump did mention, is what he did not mention. The president refuses to take action to combat climate even as it becomes more and more clear that this is one of the most important issues of our time. This is why the Energy and Commerce Committee's first hearing of the Congress tomorrow will be on addressing this urgent issue.

"House Democrats are ready to push policies that build a stronger economy, create more good-paying jobs and protect consumers from skyrocketing costs that make it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. It is time for the president to abandon his extreme policies and failed rhetoric and work to actually improve the lives of the American people."