STATE OF UNION | US Rep. Ryan responds

WASHINGTON, D.C.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, released the following statement after attending President Trump’s first State of the Union Address:

“The President’s State of the Union Address can be summed up in four words: more of the same. Although polished and read with a teleprompter, the rhetoric, fear mongering, and falsehoods that President Trump so often leans on when facts elude him was as prevalent as ever. The President was carried into the White House in large part due to the promises he made to American workers – to fight for them every day so that their wages would rise, their pensions secured, and their futures brighter. He lied to them. And he’s done nothing but work against them since day one. Instead of expanding quality, affordable healthcare, Trump and Congressional Republicans’ first big push was to throw millions off of their insurance and cause premiums to skyrocket for millions more – including those with preexisting conditions. Instead of introducing the trillion dollar infrastructure bill he promised to get people back to work, he gave corporations like Apple a $47 billion dollar Christmas gift. I wish the President would realize that it’s game time. Hardworking people cannot afford to wait around while an erratic, reckless President fails to address their concerns over sending his latest mean-tweet.

“This evening, when the President delivered his speech, there was at least one vacant seat because of the President’s own actions. Amer Othman was a pillar of the Youngstown community. He started a business downtown, employed members of our community, paid his taxes, and raised a beautiful family—all in the Mahoning Valley. Today, he no longer resides in the country he’s called home for 39 years because the Trump Administration decided to target upstanding individuals – Americans in every sense of the word – instead of violent criminals who actually pose a threat. President Trump must realize that when his words become public policy in places like Youngstown, families like Amer’s are ripped apart. That is why my guest seat at the State of the Union remained empty—in honor of Amer and all those people being heartlessly targeted by the Trump Administration. I’m sad that America, and the Office of the President, has become a place where the politics of fear outweigh doing what is right. Amer deserved to be at the State of the Union this evening, representing himself and so many others like him, to show President Trump and Congressional Republicans that the United States is his home. Instead his seat remained empty," said Ryan.