Representative Malinowski Statement on the State of the Union

“Tonight, President Trump said that “the only victories that matter in Washington are victories that deliver for the American people.” I agree, and I hope the president is serious. He knows there is potential for common ground on initiatives that he ran on, that Democrats have advanced, but that have been blocked by the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.

The House has passed landmark legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, based on principles President Trump once embraced, including allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. We could enact it tomorrow with his support.

The House is preparing a major bill to rebuild and modernize our nation’s roads, railroads, tunnels, bridges, ports and airports, something New Jersey desperately needs. Last year, the president said that he wanted to pass a $2 trillion infrastructure bill. We are ready to work with him, but he needs to signal to Congressional Republicans that this needs to be done, because they will not move without his permission. He did not do so tonight.

Last year, President Trump said he supported stronger background checks for gun purchases. He said nothing tonight about the epidemic of gun violence in our country. He said nothing about the rise in anti-Semitism and other forms of domestic extremism. My guest tonight, the daughter of a Jersey City police officer murdered by violent extremists, deserved to hear something about these issues, as did millions of other Americans.

Worst of all, the president doubled down on rhetoric designed to sow fear of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees. His statement, following a long passage on immigration restrictions, that he is restoring the “culture” of American freedom, was a pure dog whistle to white supremacists. The president may hope that most Americans will miss the meaning of these words, but far right-wing extremists will understand them as a reference to their belief that immigration from non-white countries has changed the culture of America, and that this must be reversed. Such rhetoric is not only morally wrong; it is dangerous, badly undercutting efforts by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement to protect us from extremist groups.

The House has proven that we can hold the president accountable while passing legislation that delivers for the American people – in fact, we are the only body of Congress that has done either of these things. I wish that the president had given a less divisive, partisan, and dishonest speech. But if he is willing to work with us on legislation that improves people’s lives, we remain ready to find that common ground.”