While U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) delivered the official Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Thursday night, the rest of Alabama's Republican congressional delegation issued their reactions, each condemning the speech.
"He just used the [State of the Union] for a full-on campaign speech. No dignity. No humility. No competence," U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville posted on X. "It summed up his entire presidency. Blame everyone else for the consequences of his actions. [President Biden] is the worst of us."
U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Hoover) criticized Biden's border and economic policies, both of which have hurt Americans, Palmer said.
"In just three years, Biden has opened our borders and allowed over 8 million migrants to enter our nation illegally," he said. "... Biden and the Democrats have pushed legislation and regulations that have added trillions of dollars to our national debt, raised energy cost and the cost of housing and essential household expenses… "No, Mr. President, the American people know the state of the union is not strong. It is in danger because of the policies of your administration and the Democrats in Congress."
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Saks) issued a statement before the speech claiming Americans were "sick" of Biden's policies.
"No matter what Crooked Joe Biden says tonight, the state of the union is NOT good — and the American people know it," he posted to X. "They're sick of Bidenomics, worried about our WIDE OPEN southern border and ready for a change in November."
Congressman Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) pointed out the many times Biden referred to his "predecessor," former President Donald Trump, blaming him for the country's many woes, and how Biden "threatened" the Supreme Court justices present at the speech.
"Tonight, we saw a wildly political speech from a president seemingly obsessed with President Trump. Joe Biden mentioned his 'predecessor' fourteen times but failed to label illegal crossings at our southern border as a crisis even once," Strong said in a statement. "Tonight's speech proves that he remains unwilling to acknowledge the realities facing American families. President Biden called for trillions in new spending paid for by billions of new taxes, and the rest borrowed from China. With the Supreme Court of the United States seated directly in front of him, he threatened them to bow down to his radical liberal agenda. He claims he is a unifier, but the American people saw all the evidence right in front of them."
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) said Britt gave the "true" State of the Union speech and that Biden's words further divided the country while shifting blame for his actions.
"This is the fourth time I've heard President Biden give an address to a joint session of Congress. And all four times, it's been the same overall message: deflect, mislead and play the blame-game with intense partisanship," Aderholt said. "The reality is that the state of our union is shaky at best under Joe Biden's leadership."
He continued, "The President also chose tonight to sow division and fear where there should be none: among families struggling with infertility. This is a pain that has touched many families, so it's essential to be clear that fertility treatment is not threatened by a ruling that reaffirms the value of human life. In Alabama, we support life-affirming treatments of infertility including responsible IVF. We also recognize the need for common-sense regulation of the fertility industry on behalf of parents who have trusted them."
U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, who lost Tuesday's primary election for AL-1 to U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise), stated: "The state of our union is WEAKER under Biden."
Moore also condemned Biden's speech while praising Britt for her passionate response.
"Tonight, [Sen. Katie Britt] made Alabama proud and gave the real state of our union," he said on X. "She's exactly right — President Biden didn't just create the border crisis, he invited it."
ALGOP Chair John Wahl issued a statement congratulating Britt on her rebuttal.
"The Alabama Republican Party likes to see our members make history, and Katie Britt's rebuttal tonight did just that," Wahl said. "She was the first Alabamian from either party to give the official State of the Union rebuttal. Senator Katie Britt's resounding response to Joe Biden's State of the Union showcased a bold conservative vision for our nation. Her leadership for a stronger America demonstrated exactly what our country needs, as well as a deep understanding of the issues that matter most to the people of Alabama and America. Katie Britt is a superstar of the Republican Party, and she represented Alabama well."
Meanwhile, Alabama's lone Democrat representative, Terri Sewell (R-Mobile), applauded Biden's address, taking time to capture a photo with him from the chamber floor as he walked to the podium.
To connect with the story's author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com or find him on Twitter and Facebook.
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