U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-11) released a statement regarding his decision not to attend President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address tonight.

“I refuse to support a President who has spent his entire term promoting his interests ahead of the public good,” said Payne. “Traditionally, the State of the Union address has been a time for the President of the United States to be accountable to the people for the job he is doing.  But the Republican Senate has proven that President Trump is not accountable to the people and that his actions to solicit election interference from Ukraine do not constitute a serious violation of public trust.

“This is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution and created American democracy,” added Payne. “So I will not attend the State of the Union to protest the president’s actions as well as support my House colleagues who voted to impeach the president and hold him accountable.  I go to a State of the Union address to hear the President.  I do not go to hear a self-appointed King.”

Payne made the announcement about his intentions on the same day that former Vice President Joe Biden – the candidate he backs for president – belly-flopped in Iowa. With 62% of the vote tallied, according to CNN, Biden stands in fourth place in the delegate race, behind frontrunner Peter Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren.