DeLauro Statement on President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) issued this statement following President Biden’s State of the Union address:

“People are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. They need a government that looks out for the middle class, working families, small businesses, and the vulnerable who work hard. We need a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and that’s exactly what President Biden outlined tonight.

“I am grateful for the President’s commitment to call for a permanent expanded Child Tax Credit like we passed in the American Rescue Plan. The Child Tax Credit is the most effective tool we have in the fight against rising costs – an antidote to inflation – and was responsible for the largest decrease in child poverty in history. I am also glad he called for the establishment of a paid family and medical leave program and paid sick days, so that all workers can take time off to take care of themselves or a family member and not have their livelihood threatened.

“Under the leadership of President Biden, Democrats have enacted transformative policies to help working Americans with rising costs. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, we cut the cost of health care premiums, prescription drugs, and energy. We established a 15 percent corporate minimum tax and invested in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) so that billionaires and the biggest corporations finally pay their fair share in taxes. And we capped the price of insulin for the first time at $35 a month for Medicare beneficiaries, bringing down the cost of this life-sustaining drug.

“President Biden is a man who works across the aisle, and with Republican control of the House of Representatives, I expect he will continue to try to work in the spirit of bipartisanship. President Biden led the bipartisan passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, which will invest in domestic semiconductor funding and boost American manufacturing. From powering our cars and TVs, to our smartphones and household appliances, semiconductor chips drive our modern lives. He also passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to rebuild America’s crumbling roads, bridges, highways, and waterways. The investments President Biden secured will create domestic jobs, fuel American manufacturing, and strengthen our national security. I know he will continue to work with congressional Republicans where he can.

“President Biden is also committed to fostering and defending global democracy. Together, we have worked to provide critical funding to the war effort in Ukraine and repel Russian aggression. I commend President Biden and the administration for supporting Ukraine’s effort, which has left Russia weaker strategically, diplomatically, and economically. With continued bipartisan support in the U.S., the war can be won, and global democracy secured.

“I also urge congressional Republicans to work with President Biden and Democrats to raise the debt ceiling. The full faith and credit of the United States should never be questioned. We have raised the debt ceiling in a bipartisan manner under President Trump three times without preconditions, cuts, or a crisis. It is time we do this once more.

“Lastly, I want to thank my State of the Union guest, Allyx Schiavone of Friends Center for Children in New Haven, for joining me to spotlight the need for federal investments in child care along with my colleague Senator Patty Murray. Investments in child care are investments in our workforce, our kids, and our local small businesses. Child care is essential to the success of our communities. Parents need child care to work—that becomes a lot harder when they cannot find or afford safe, high quality child care where they live. Together, we are fighting for these needed investments that help families access child care.

“Our nation faces significant challenges, but under the leadership of President Biden, I am confident we will continue to meet the moment. Over the next year, I look forward to advancing solutions to grow opportunity and deal working and middle-class Americans back in.”