Florida Republicans React to Biden's SOTU Address

Florida political leaders reacted Tuesday to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address with praise and condemnation. See some of the responses below:

US Senator Rick Scott

“Under President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats, the State of Our Union is weak and getting weaker. The President’s speech tonight seemed to reflect an alternate reality to that of working Americans. “Inflation is at a 40-year high due to Democrats’ economic mismanagement and wasteful spending, yet the President called for more spending which would worsen the problem and significantly increase our national debt. Rising gas prices are exposing the stupid decision to scrap the Keystone pipeline but the President wants to continue down a path towards killing the American energy industry. The President also failed to convey confidence that he has a plan to combat rising crime and the woke culture that is tearing apart our communities and our schools. “America is headed in the wrong direction, and according to public polling, the only people who haven’t realized it yet are President Biden and his Democrat allies in Congress. Senate Democrats like Raphael Warnock, Mark Kelly, Catherine Cortez Masto, Michael Bennet, and Maggie Hassan have done nothing but rubber stamp Joe Biden’s disastrous agenda that’s hurting American families. In just over nine months, Americans will send an unmistakable wake-up call and deliver Congress back to the Republicans.”

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis:

“Last night, President Biden gave his first State of the Union Address. I agreed with his assessment that the entire civilized world is united against Putin’s escalating aggression. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and support their brave defense of their country. We believe Putin must be held accountable for this most recent attack and his reckless rhetoric regarding his willingness to consider nuclear options. We must continue to work with our international allies to hold him accountable.

One of the best ways for the U.S. to apply pressure while promoting peace is to flip the switch and unleash American energy production. Consider these important facts: Russian crude oil and petroleum product imports to the U.S. reached an 11-year high in 2021, totaling $17.5 billion.  President Biden’s policies (stopping the Keystone Pipeline and domestic leases, harsh new FERC rules) have halted U.S. energy production, making us more reliant on foreign adversaries. Last week, my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee filed the American Energy Independence from Russia Act. This critical legislation would require the President to unleash America’s oil and natural gas production to offset Russian imports.  Additionally, we must reconsider abandoning support for the Eastern Mediterranean Pipeline , which is a vital project that will help our European allies end their dependence on Russia’s oil supply.

President Biden said something else during his State of the Union Address that I strongly agree with; we can and must be willing to buy products that are made in America. Why should this mindset not also extend to our energy production? Doing so will help American consumers get relief at the pump, while sending the strongest possible message to Putin and our other adversaries that the U.S. is serious about defending Ukraine and holding Russia accountable for the damage it has inflicted on the world with its most recent unstable behavior. We simply should not be filling Putin’s war chest when we can produce energy here in the U.S.”

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor:

“President Biden’s call to build a stronger and more resilient America through clean energy and more resilient infrastructure provides an extraordinary opportunity to create jobs and lower costs for families and businesses alike. By accelerating our clean energy future, we will usher a new era of American prosperity, deliver for vulnerable communities, and give every American a fair shot. “Building a better America is within our reach, but action is urgent to protect communities from the increasingly costly and deadly consequences of the worsening climate crisis. We must pull together as Americans to confront these challenges — and it starts by investing in our communities at home. That’s why we cannot rest until we’ve turned the popular clean energy investments passed by the House into law, so we can lower the costs of utility bills, free Americans from volatile gas prices, and provide cleaner air for every person.”

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist:

“As we face unprecedented challenges as both a nation and members of the free world, we are in need of strong, decisive leadership now more than ever. President Biden demonstrated that leadership tonight, steering us forward with resolve and determination as we rebuild our economy following the COVID-19 pandemic and work alongside our NATO allies to hold the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin accountable for his reprehensible invasion of Ukraine. I see the state of our union as resolute. Resolute in the global struggle for freedom and democracy, resolute in fighting inflation and lowering costs, and resolute to address our greatest challenges as one nation, one people, one Florida.”

U.S. Rep. Brian Mast:

“President Biden spoke for 62 minutes and didn’t say the one word Americans should’ve heard: sorry.

“On Inauguration Day, President Biden promised that he would admit when he made mistakes, but he’s broken that promise almost daily for 14 months. Tonight, he refused to admit that his far-left policies have wrecked the economy and decimated America’s reputation on the world stage. We needed solutions, but instead, we got excuses as he tried to convince the American people that the weakened state of our union was inevitable.

“But the American people are not stupid. They know that the Biden Administration welcomed a crime crisis with open border policies and dangerous slogans like ‘defund the police.’ They know that spending trillions of dollars won’t curb inflation. They know that Vladmir Putin watched what happened in Afghanistan and saw his opportunity in Ukraine. They know that they are less free, less secure and less prosperous than they were 14 months ago, and they know that President Biden is responsible for it.

“The American people deserve a president who will say ‘sorry’ when he should and who won’t make the same mistake twice. They deserve better than what President Biden gave them tonight.”

U.S. Rep. Brian Waltz:

"If POTUS can’t bother to say recognize the heroic efforts of veterans to evac Americans and Afghan allies, I certainly can. THANK YOU from a grateful nation!"