Cunningham Statement on President Trump’s State of the Union
Washington, D.C. – In response to President Trump’s State of the Union address this evening, Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-01) released the following statement:
“I am glad President Trump addressed two key priorities for folks in the Lowcountry – lowering the cost of prescription drugs and supporting working families through paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and quality education. Last year, we passed legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs by allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies. I am hopeful the Senate will follow our lead and take up this critical legislation. Supporting hardworking families through guaranteed parental leave and affordable childcare aren’t just smart policies, they’re personal. My guest at tonight’s address, Alison Martin, exemplifies the struggle that millions of hardworking Americans face. Alison, a pharmacist at Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, is pregnant with her second child and will be forced to take leave without pay to stay home with her newborn. I was proud to work with the President to ensure that federal workers like Alison are guaranteed twelve weeks of paid leave in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was signed into law in December. I'm thrilled he called on Congress to pass the bipartisan bill I helped introduce, the Advancing Support for Working Families Act, which helps new parents pay for leave and cover the cost of day care, baby supplies and other expenses associated with a new child.
“I also appreciate the President’s commitment to rebuilding and strengthening our armed forces. I will continue to work with the Administration to ensure that our Lowcountry servicemembers have the resources they need to keep our country safe.
"The President again proclaimed America’s net energy independence. It is abundantly clear to me – and the people of South Carolina – that pursuing dangerous and unwanted offshore drilling off our coast is unnecessary. I hope the Senate respects the wishes of our coastal communities and passes my bipartisan legislation to permanently ban offshore drilling.
“I was disappointed that President Trump did not lay out concrete plans for the infrastructure investment that areas like the Lowcountry desperately need. I stand ready to work with the President and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to bring our ailing infrastructure firmly into the 21st century.”