WASHINGTON — Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement responding to President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address:
“President Biden’s first term has been marked by a singular understanding of how we build an economy and a country for everyone. Tonight, I was proud to hear him lift up the powerful results of that agenda, the opportunity it has created, and rally communities across the nation with a proposition agenda that we can deliver with Democrats in power.
“Progressives have been proud to partner with the President and his administration on a bold, populist economic agenda, and I was thrilled to hear that highlighted so prominently tonight. He addressed the need to raise wages and lower costs, particularly of housing and child care as the two biggest inflationary costs squeezing families, and protect Social Security and Medicare. He lifted up the power of promoting competition, the critical role that unions play in all our families’ ability to live with dignity, and the need to support workers. The economic success of this presidency is real — with more than 15 million jobs created, the lowest unemployment in decades, and real wages rising — but too many working- and middle-class people still aren’t feeling those gains. That’s why I was so pleased to hear the President rightly name the villain in this story — the wealthy corporations raking in record profits while continuing to raise prices on consumers and the ultra-rich who aren’t paying their fair share in taxes — and insist that we right those imbalances going forward.
“One of President Biden’s strengths is his commitment to protecting both Americans’ rights and freedoms and ensuring their economic security, which was on full display in this speech. As one of the one in four women in this country who’s had an abortion, I appreciate his commitment to restoring Roe while naming that the attacks on IVF and emergency care are connected, and that the fight for reproductive freedom must continue. He seized the platform to continue to press Congress on passing nationwide voting rights protections, because the future of our democracy depends on it. He lifted up the historic investments his administration has made on climate action and committed to continue that work. I was proud to hear the President talk about humane immigration reform and was deeply moved by his inclusive message about how America is a nation of immigrants.
“The path forward is clear. The President and his administration must continue to take bold executive action to deliver immediate, tangible results for the American people. Democrats in Congress must continue to lift up this bold, populist, inclusive agenda and remind our constituents of Democrats’ values and priorities for when we are in power. As always, progressives in Congress and our movement allies will organize, advocate, and build power to continue the progress we’ve made and bring about this change our communities desperately need.”
