Republican Response to Biden’s Slanderous State of the Union Address
February 8, 2023 | Washington, D.C.
President Biden’s Feb. 7 State of the Union Address contained so many falsehoods and half truths that even the New York Times issued a “Fact-Checking Biden’s State of the Union Address” article. Here are a few of Biden’s disputed claims.
Biden on Jobs
“I actually created, with the help of many people in this room, 12 million new jobs. More jobs created in two years than any president has created in four years. Because of you.”
He goes on to say that this is the “fastest job growth in forty years,” echoing a claim he made on Twitter in Dec. 2022. In reality, the increased jobs are due to the lifting of COVID restrictions and business shutdowns.
“Mr. President, the labor force participation rate is the worst since Jimmy Carter, because your party spent hundreds of billions for people to sit at home and collect a government check - instead of a pay check,” Representative Jason Smith (R-MO) responded on Twitter. “Small businesses are suffering because of YOUR worker shortage.”
Biden on Inflation
“Inflation has been a global problem because the pandemic disrupted our supply chains and Putin’s unfair and brutal war in Ukraine disrupted energy supplies as well as food supplies.”
Instead of pointing a finger at government’s out-of-control spending during the pandemic years to offset injury from the lockdowns, Biden blamed inflation on Russian President Vladamir Putin’s war on Ukraine. Note that he omits the tax money the US has sent to Ukraine, but focuses on supply chain disruptions relating to the conflict.
The only “hope” he could give was that inflation is “coming down,” said Eagle Forum Executive Director Tabitha Walker.
Biden on Medicare and Social Security
“Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. I’m not saying it’s a majority.”
Biden implied that Republicans want to eliminate Medicare and Social Security. While Republicans such as Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) have called for “Congress to issue a report every year telling the public what they plan to do when Social Security and Medicare go bankrupt,” none asked for the programs to be terminated for those who have paid into them.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy went on record the day before the State of the Union saying that cuts to these programs are “off the table.”
Biden on Crime
“COVID left other scars, like the spike in violent crime in 2020, the first year of the pandemic. We have an obligation to make sure all our people are safe.”
Glaring omissions by President Biden on this issue were efforts to defund the police, eliminate bail, and reject prosecuting offenses. Criminal justice reforms that make it easier to get away with crimes were not mentioned.
Biden on the Border
“America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts.”
In an attempt to blame the border crisis on Congress, or anyone but himself, President Biden briefly addressed the crisis he has created at the end of his speech.
All of President Biden’s comments on the border:
“And let’s also come together on immigration and make it a bipartisan issue like it was before.
“We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.
“Since we launched our new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97%.
“But America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts.
“If you won’t pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers.”
President Biden’s comments on human smugglers and fentanyl surging over the border were responded to by GOP jeers, including “It’s your fault!” and “They come from China!”
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer slammed claims by the Biden administration of creating a “humane” immigration system as “propaganda.”
Migrants interviewed after they were arrested told Border Patrol agents "they believed that when the Administration changed, that the law changed, and policy changed, and that there was an open border," said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL).
Divisiveness vs. Unity
Although he ran on a promise of unifying America, divisive themes were threaded throughout the speech, including:
He called for a ban on assault weapons “once and for all”.
He told Congress to pass a “pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers.”
He declared that, “Congress must restore the right the Supreme Court took away last year and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman’s constitutional right to choose.”
He called common sense state laws to protect the unborn “extreme abortion bans.”
He demanded passage of the “Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.”
“That was one of the most partisan State of the Union speeches I've ever heard,” said Speaker McCarthy.
The Republican Response
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered the Republican Address to the Nation following Biden’s State of the Union.
She said:
“America is great because we are free.
“But today, our freedom is under attack, and the America we love is in danger.
“President Biden and the Democrats have failed you.
“It’s time for a change.
“A New Generation of Republican leaders is stepping up… not to be caretakers of the status quo, but to be changemakers for the American people.
“We know not what the future holds, but we know who holds the future in His hands. And with God as our witness, we will show the world that America is still the place where freedom reins and liberty will never die.”
Watch Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders deliver the Republican Address to the Nation.