Cohen’s Statement on President Trump’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] — Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) tonight released the following statement on the address by President Donald Trump to a joint session of Congress:

"We should be focusing on creating good-paying jobs, restoring faith in our criminal justice system, fine-tuning the Affordable Care Act, and improving educational opportunities. We should be increasing funding for programs that are vital for the health and well-being of my constituents and so many people across the country such as food stamps, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs, energy assistance and community health care centers. We should be protecting the environment and addressing the undeniable threat of global warming. Unfortunately, based on what we heard from the President tonight, I fear we may see the opposite. The President's plan to increase defense spending to historic levels will likely result in cuts to these important programs and services. I don't feel that this apparent billionaire who lives a lifestyle of the rich and famous understands, much less is trying to serve, the middle class who often live paycheck-to-paycheck and find themselves in need of a helping hand."