Rep Welch's Statement on President Biden's First State of the Union Address

Statement

"Tonight, President Biden laid out the issues and the path forward clearly. He acknowledged what we all know: it's been a hard couple of years and folks have been struggling with a brutal virus and rising inflation.

The President identified the progress we have made over the past year in overcoming the global pandemic by vaccinating the vast majority of Americans and starting to return to a sense of normalcy. He hit on important progress we have made with the passage of the American Rescue Plan and the long-overdue Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. These bills have and will help our communities recover from an unprecedented pandemic and build a stronger and safer Vermont.

But Congress needs to do more to help working families struggling to keep up with higher prices. We must focus on passing the main components of the Build Back Better Act separately to lower the cost of prescription drugs, build more affordable housing, provide affordable childcare for all families, and ensure all 3 and 4 year old children have access to free Pre-K education. And we must take action on the climate crisis. We need to pass legislation to build a green economy that will increase jobs and create a safe and stable environment. Doing so will be good for working families and the American economy now and into the future.

Lastly, the President's emphatic call that "we, the United States of America stand with the Ukrainian people' is exactly right. We stand united- Republicans, Independents, and Democrats -- in our commitment to provide support to Ukraine and its people throughout this brutal war. Putin and Russia will continue to face punishing and long-lasting sanctions for his unprovoked and premeditated attack on an independent Ukraine."

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