February 07, 2023

Duckworth Statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after President Biden’s State of the Union address:

“After two years in office, President Biden reminded us tonight of the significant accomplishments Democrats delivered on for working families across the country. Because of our work—and despite Republican obstruction—we’re lowering the cost of prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare, bringing down inflation, investing in infrastructure improvements—including my landmark law that’s upgrading our drinking and wastewater systems—creating millions of good-paying jobs, boosting manufacturing, supporting our Veterans and tackling the climate crisis. On top of all that, President Biden signed into law the most sweeping gun safety reforms in 30 years and kept the NATO alliance together in support of Ukraine against Russia’s war of choice.

“While we’ve made a lot of progress, the President and I know that we can’t let up now. Women’s health is on the line as Republicans work to enact a nation-wide abortion ban and strip away women’s access to reproductive care—but Democrats are working to enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into law. We also know we need to address police and criminal justice reform, make quality child care more affordable, enact paid leave, keep pushing prices down and much, much more. I share President Biden’s hope that Republicans will put aside partisan fighting, come to the negotiating table and make working families—not wealthy donors—the top priority so we can improve the lives of everyday Americans.”

As part of Senator Duckworth’s continuing efforts to underscore the importance of a woman’s right to choose and defend Americans’ right to full, comprehensive reproductive healthcare—no matter their zip code, income, ability status or skin color—she brought Dr. Erin King of Illinois’s Hope Clinic as her State of the Union guest:

“When Roe v. Wade fell, a ripple of panic and grief could be felt throughout our country. Millions of Americans were left with fewer constitutionally-protected rights than they had before, and it’s taken the support, resources and empathy of places like Hope Clinic and people like Dr. Erin King to ensure women everywhere have access to reproductive health services. I’m proud to have her as my State of the Union guest this year and know that the importance of her clinic, and the work it does, will only continue to grow as Republican attacks on these rights continue. I refuse to let my daughters grow up in a world with fewer rights than I had, and I won’t stop working to ensure reproductive freedoms are protected for all Americans.”

Since President Biden was sworn into office, Duckworth has been an integral part of helping implement his agenda in Congress. She worked closely on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—which is helping repair our roads and bridges and create good paying jobs across the country—that includes several provisions led by Duckworth to help improve the lives of working Americans by making drinking water safer, reducing traffic congestion, allowing infrastructure projects to implement local hiring initiatives, protecting roadside responders and improving transit accessibility, among many other benefits for workers. Part of the law includes the Senator’s Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act (DWWIA), which is putting Americans back to work fixing and upgrading our nation’s crumbling, dangerous water infrastructure.

Senator Duckworth championed and secured key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, a law that is lowering costs for life-saving prescription drugs, capping out-of-pocket costs of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 per month and $2,000 per year for other medications, tackling the climate crisis to protect our planet for future generations, cutting the deficit by hundreds of billions and ensuring megacorporations pay their fair share.

She strongly supported the CHIPS and Science Act, which helping make sure our nation can remain a competitive leader in research and development, science and manufacturing for generations to come. Duckworth celebrated the passage of the bipartisan Safer Communities Act that is working to enhance background checks, help states implement red flag laws, close the boyfriend loophole and, ultimately, save lives.

Duckworth proudly supported the PACT Act that is now law and the VA’s processes for toxic-exposed Veterans so they can get the care they need for service-connected illnesses.

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