Georgia reacts to President’s State of the Union speech

Members of Georgia's House and Senate delegation are weighing after last night's State of the Union Address, a speech delivered by President Donald Trump to a joint session of the US House and Senate.

From 10th District Congressman Jody Hice…

“The President’s message was clear: By ‘Choosing Greatness,’ we can expand prosperity for all and ‘unlock the extraordinary promise’ of America,” said Congressman Hice. “I commend President Trump for reaffirming his commitment to securing our border, protecting our families, and building an even stronger economy to lift all of our citizens up while bolstering our Nation as a whole.”

“With weekly jobless claims at their lowest levels since 1969 and wages on the rise, opportunities are expanding for every American, and I share the optimism expressed by the President,” Hice continued. “It’s my hope that throughout the coming year, we can come together to enact real solutions to the problems facing our country and focus on ensuring a stronger and more prosperous future. When America is strong, unified, and proud, we can accomplish anything.”

From Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson…

“Tonight, the president highlighted a number of serious challenges facing our country and reminded us of our nation’s powerful history. It is now time for President Trump and leaders of both parties in Congress to come together and make progress on the issues Americans care about, starting with securing our border and ensuring that we never have another government shutdown like the one that recently ended.

“We’ve seen record economic growth over the last two years, and in Georgia alone, more than 100,000 jobs have been created since we passed a sweeping overhaul of our tax code. I urge the president to work closely with Congress to ensure that our trade policies truly put American workers and consumers first and to avoid overly broad tariffs that could threaten this progress. Our trade policies should address the serious issues that undermine the free-market economy that has made the United States and many parts of the world more prosperous. I also commend the president for his focus on the importance of making health care costs more affordable and transparent.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we have boosted our military’s strength numbers and our service members are receiving record pay. We’ve made great strides in the fight against terror. As long as al Qaeda and ISIS continue to pose a threat to the United States, we must continue to do all we can to contain and eliminate them.

“We have enacted major, bipartisan reforms over the last two years to improve U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs health care, services and benefits for our veterans. I will continue working with the Trump administration and my fellow Congressional leaders to make sure we are providing the best possible care and support to our nation’s veterans.

“The president talked tonight about rebuilding our nation by passing an infrastructure package. I support this goal and am committed to ensuring the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project remains a national priority, because America’s jobs and economy depend upon its success as well.

"We've seen broad, bipartisan success over the last two years, and it is my hope that Congress and the administration will continue to work together and build on these accomplishments on behalf of the American people."
From Georgia Senator David Perdue…

“Tonight, President Trump laid out a very powerful vision for our country that continues to build on the successes of the last two years. Many Americans are seeing increased paychecks, more opportunities, and brighter futures for their families. The economy is growing at twice the rate it did under President Obama, and more than 5.3 million new jobs have been created. Total unemployment is the lowest in 50 years, while African American, Hispanic, and Asian American unemployment is the lowest ever.

“While much work has been accomplished, we still need bipartisan solutions to address the rising costs of health care, fix our broken immigration system, rebuild and modernize our infrastructure, and negotiate fair trade deals with our partners around the world.

“While we heard a positive message from President Trump, Democrats sat on their hands. There is a stark contrast between the positive results we’ve seen under President Trump and Democrats’ radical policies that have been proven to fail.”