In his first State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Joe Biden’s remarks on topics ranging from Ukraine to mask mandates were met with fluctuating support from lawmakers in attendance. However, Delaware’s congressional delegation did not waver in their support for the president after his speech.
“I’m grateful that (Biden) is our president at this moment in our history,” Sen. Chris Coons said.
Biden made “a number of really strong points,” Coons said. Among those that stood out to Coons were Biden’s calls for reform in policing and immigration, as well as support for American businesses and infrastructure.
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Sen. Tom Carper, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said he was “exceptionally pleased” with the president’s focus on infrastructure, particularly in relation to climate change. He also praised Biden’s plan to lower prescription drug prices.
Both senators noted that Biden touched upon issues raised by their constituents. For Coons, that came in the form of the president’s goal to cure cancer, a “heavy burden” in Delaware.
“Cancer has taken some of our most beloved Delawareans,” Coons said. “And that’s obviously something that the president and his family know personally.”
The president directly referenced his home state – as well as its delegates – in his push for higher taxes on corporations, many of which are based in Delaware. The local shout-outs were not in the original version of the address.
Like her colleagues in the Senate, U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester complimented Biden’s discussion what Delawareans view as the most pressing issues. In a written statement, she praised his handling of the transition to the “endemic phase” of COVID-19 and his efforts to reduce the cost of living for “everyday Americans.”
“As the President said this evening, the state of our union is strong,” Blunt Rochester said in a statement. “But working together, we can make it even stronger and build a better America.”
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.
