Press Releases
ICYMI: State of the Union Response
Washington,
March 12, 2024
President Biden was supposed to deliver a State of the Union speech last week, but ended up hosting a Washington Democrat pep rally on the House floor instead. Needless to say, I was disappointed. The American people needed to hear three things from the President during his address: his plan to secure the border, his budget outline, and his national security strategy. In Case You Missed It, I discussed President Biden's failure to deliver on these key issues and other missteps - including support of a cures-killing government drug pricing scheme - during his final State of the Union address. Watch, listen, and read the highlights here:
On President Biden's failed policies "I thought I was going to a State of the Union address, but it turned out to be a Democrat pep rally... "This was my 10th State of the Union address and this was the most partisan one that I've ever witnessed... "He wants to talk about the economy...Don't you realize that there are people hurting out there now? Don't you realize that day one you declared war on American energy resulting in higher gas prices, resulting in higher food prices? "Elections have consequences because policies have consequences and the policies of this administration are wrong... "We support Ukraine, of course we do. We support Israel. We don't want Putin to be successful. We understand that... "When I'm in the district, the one question I get most often is from people who look at me and say 'how can you justify sending money to another country to secure their border, when our border isn't secure?' "There's really not a good answer to that."
On the State of the Union "This is a guy who was pointing fingers and saying 'you're wrong, you're wrong, we're right, you're bad, we're good,' the whole night... "He was wrong. He's wrong on policy... "Why are we having this inflation? Because day one this president declared war on American energy and demonized American energy, demonized fossil fuels, resulting in higher gas prices and higher food prices." On the crisis at the southern border "The border problem is Joe Biden's creation. "It's as if he went into office and said 'whatever Donald Trump was doing at the border, we're gonna do just the opposite.'" On UGA students' murder at hands of illegal immigrant "I was impressed that Joe Biden called [Laken Riley's] name last night at the State of the Union address... "Unfortunately, he didn't get her name right. I think he called her Lincoln Riley. "Her name is Laken, Mr. President. It'd be good if you could get that right. I'm sure the family would appreciate it. I mean after all, they had to bury their child as a result of your policies, Mr. President... "What happened to Laken Riley was a direct result of his policies, of his failed policies at the border... "He should have responsibility for what happened to her... "If the Senate were to take up H.R. 2, maybe we do compromise with them. I'm willing to, but that's the starting point, H.R. 2."
On the crisis at the southern border "It was ridiculous and he missed the points. He missed the points that he should have been hitting on. "He talked about the border, well, he talked about the bill that Republicans supposedly held up in the house... "That was not a border bill, that was an amnesty bill, an immigration bill... "We have a border bill. It is H.R. 2 and it is in the Senate and it needs to be acted upon. On the economy "He talked about the economy. He talked about the fact that 'Oh we brought inflation down from 7% to 3.7%'... "Let me remind you Mr. President, that inflation was at 1.4% when you took office...that the prices of food and energy are still high [and] that the price of food is as high of a percentage of people's budget as it has been in decades." On prescription drug pricing "Finally, the worst part in my mind, being a pharmacist and being a health care professional, was when he proposed expanding what I consider to be the worst legislation I've ever seen in Congress... "That is to expand the prescription drug portion [of the Inflation Reduction Act]...which is going to result in less research and development... "That's the worst thing that he could've possibly said right there."
On prescription drug pricing "I don't know what to be upset about the most. Whether it was his comments about the border, whether it was his comments about inflation, or his awful, awful comments about his prescription drug program as part of the IRA... "I have dedicated my life to helping people get better. I have seen nothing short of miracles as a result of research and development and this president is destroying research and development with his prescription drug program... "He is not negotiating, he is extorting from these pharmaceutical manufacturers. That's not where the problem is... "The problem is with the middlemen. It's with the insurance companies, the PBMs, that's where the prices are." On the crisis at the southern border "What we have done is put H.R. 2 over in the Senate. They need to act on that. That is a border bill. That will secure our border... "Look, I've been to the border 8 times in the 10 years I've been a Member of Congress. Last time was about a month ago and it was as bad as I've ever seen it... "The price of fentanyl has plummeted. The street price is now dirt cheap. That's simple economics, supply and demand. The supply is so high, that the demand's not there any more... "200 Americans are dying every day as a result of fentanyl poisoning... "It's so upsetting to see someone who is so out-of-touch with reality." On the economy "He inherited inflation at 1.4%. It went up to 7%. Now he's trying to take credit for bringing it down to 3.7%? That's still double what it was when he took office... "He has created a problem with the border. He has created a problem in the economy. He needs to correct those problems... "With the economy, he could unleash American energy. Instead, what is he doing? He's 'pausing' natural gas exports? That's the worst thing that could be done, not only for our economy, but for climate change globally... "He just doesn't get it...He just does not understand whats going on with the border, he doesn't understand whats going on with the economy, and he certainly doesn't understand prescription drug pricing."
On President Biden's cures-killing IRA "What it's resulting in is less cures on the market... "It's estimated that there will be over 400 less cures coming to market in the next 10 years as a result of this policy."
 Watch the full interview here.
On UGA students' murder at hands of illegal immigrant "I was glad that he mentioned Laken Riley, I was glad he said her name... "She should still be with us today. Here's a young lady, a vibrant young lady who was dedicating her life to being a nurse, to helping people, and yet she's not here today with us as a result of the policies of this administration." ### |
