Polis: The State of Union is strong because of the people who have defended progress tooth and nail [photos included]

Statement

Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., gave the following statement after the State of Union tonight:

"Over the past year, we have witnessed President Trump attempt to roll back progress with his destructive actions. But we have also witnessed people across America - like Anarely and so many others - proudly stand up and defend progress. The people - who have defended progress tooth and nail - are why we can say the state of the union is strong," said Polis. "Ever the optimist, I am hopeful that Congress can pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan that provides relief for traffic, fixes outdated school buildings, and finally gets high-speed internet to rural areas, so I was happy to hear the president talk about that. But first and foremost, we need to make sure that our economy works for everyone, and that families can finally get ahead and save for college or retirement. We have to collaborate to pass a year-long budget, or we are looking at another government shutdown next week. And we must, clearly, find a fix for the dreamers, who only know the U.S. as home."

Polis attended the State of Union tonight, welcoming Anarely, a dreamer from Fort Collins, as his guest. Before today, she had never been to Washington.

Anarely was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and came to the U.S. when she was a young child. Her family stayed in Colorado to care for her grandmother, who suffered from breast cancer. Anarely has flourished in Colorado, graduating high school with a 4.3 GPA, where she participated in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). She went on to thrive at Colorado State University, triple majoring in political science, ethnic studies, and international relations.

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