U.S. Rep. Panetta’s Statement on President Joe Biden’s Second State of the Union Address

Washington, DC - U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) released the following statement on President Joe Biden's second State of the Union Address:

"Tonight, President Joe Biden was abundantly clear that the state of our union is strong thanks to the foundation that we've built with the legislation that we've passed into law over the past two years. However, he wasn't afraid to admit that there is so much more that we can do together.

"We must now spring forward and build on the historic laws that got us through the pandemic, made major infrastructure investments, reduced prescription drug prices, bolstered domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips, invested in mental health services to reduce gun violence, cared for our veterans who were exposed to toxins, and provided new incentives to reduce our carbon output. We proved that Democrats and Republicans can come together to transform our country, expand opportunity, and defend democracy. And we can do it again, especially when it comes to increasing our revenue sources to reduce our budget, creating a federal standard for police training, getting something done on immigration reform, securing our border, cracking down on fentanyl and fraud, and continuing to build up the economy for working families.

"We face many challenges in California's 19th Congressional District, including the recovery efforts of the recent storms that caused significant damage to our communities, the high cost of living, the lack of affordable housing, homelessness, gun violence and crime, and the present effects of climate change. However, we also have our shared sense of community and values that drive us to soldier on through thick and thin as we live up to the promise of our American experiment. As Americans, we have shown time and time again, that there's more that unites us than divides us, and that we can accomplish incredible things when we put our differences aside and work toward the bettering of our nation and the lives of those we serve.

"I look forward to continuing to work with President Biden and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver on the progress that will strengthen our union for our families and future generations."

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