Capito Statement on President Biden's State of the Union Address

Statement

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) released the below statement following President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address:

"When President Biden addressed a joint session of Congress in 2021, he stressed the need for unity and togetherness, a theme he attempted to echo from his inaugural address. However, that was not the same message articulated tonight, nor how he and the Democratic majority governed over the past year. While the president is busy taking a premature and undeserved victory lap, lauding legislation that Democrats passed on a party-line basis, families in West Virginia and America are struggling at every turn because many of the policies and priorities of this administration have made the American Dream harder to attain.

"I'm pleased that President Biden used this moment to highlight the importance of extended efforts to end childhood cancer and the addiction crisis, two areas I have been heavily involved in that need attention from the oval office. However, I'm disappointed that he did not use this opportunity to let the American people know he understands their concerns and outline a path toward an affordable future, or seriously acknowledge the crisis on our southern border. With a divided Congress, now more than ever, we need to work together to address the issues impacting the daily lives of American families.

"American families want a secure southern border, they want reliable infrastructure, they want energy independence, and they want to be able to afford to pursue the American dream. The president did not lay out a clear and convincing plan to achieve this. Additionally, it is staggering that recent polls indicate just 39% of Americans are confident in the direction of our country, a trend that is worsening.

"Despite the challenges we face, I am ever the optimist, and I stand ready as always to continue putting forth solutions that address the concerns I hear from West Virginians daily. Folks in all 55 of our counties in West Virginia work hard every day, support their families, and find compromises to move our communities forward. I encourage President Biden to take a page from their book and meet Republicans halfway in the coming year to make America a stronger, resilient, and a more affordable union."

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