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When PresidentJoe Bidenwraps up hisfirst State of the Union addressat the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night, the political speeches will just be getting started.
Since the 1960s, it has been customary for the opposing party to respond to the current occupant of the White House. This year, a group of lawmakers — including some of Biden’s fellow Democrats — have announced plans to chime in as well.
Here’s who will take to the airwaves to offer their points of view on the state of the country after Biden, 79.
Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds — the first woman to hold the office there — will give the official GOP response to the president’s address, party leaders Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Kevin McCarthyannounced in February.
“While Washington Democrats fail working Americans, Republican governors are fighting and winning for families. Governor Kim Reynolds' brave, bold, and successful leadership for Iowans has put her right at the front of that pack,” McConnell said, listing what he deemed accomplishments on issues like theCOVID-19response, education, “woke propaganda” and immigration.
On the other side of the aisle, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan announced she will give a response on behalf of the Working Families Party. The decision to follow-up the State of the Union with her own take has sparked some backlash from others in their party who would prefer a show of support for the president while he faces middling approval ratings, an escalating war in Ukraine and approaching midterm elections with the balance of power in question for both chambers of Congress.
“Despite some sensational coverage, it’s simple: I’m giving a speech about supporting President Biden and his Build Back Better agenda for the people,” Tlaib, who is a member of the progressive “Squad,“said in a tweet. “Look past the headlines & hear progressives' vision for working with the President & Congress to deliver for our residents.”
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Rep. Colin Allred, another Texas Democrat from Dallas, will also offer aresponse on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. He said his speech will not be a criticism of the president’s but rather a complement,The New York Timesreported.
Reps. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey, and Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, will also speak on Tuesday night in a bipartisan address on behalf of the centrist organization No Labels.
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Gottheimer was critical of Tlaib, saying a critique of the president would be “like keying your own car and slashing your own tires” and denied he was delivering a “response or rebuttal” to Biden’s address, theTimesreports.
Instead, he said he plans to “speak about ways Democrats and Republicans can work together.”
Meanwhilecontroversial CongresswomanMarjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who is serving her first term in office, also plans to deliver a response, according to aYouTube pageset up to carry her remarks.
Biden’s State of the Union is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET and can be viewed on theWhite House’s YouTube pageas well as on major news channels.
The president is expected to highlight a “unity agenda” and discuss the economy and foreign relations, including the invasion of Ukraine.
source: people.com
