February 28, 2017 8:35 PM
Open Thread: President Trump’s Joint Address
President Trump’s Joint Address will air live here and throughout the internet tonight at 9:00 p.m. Take an opportunity to share your predictions, feedback, opinions, and/or righteous indignation on this huge occasion.
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lawtonsack
Lawton is a graduate of Georgia Southern University (the GSU) with a degree in Information Technology. He has held numerous positions within the Georgia Republican Party throughout the years.
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Cool to see Secretary Tom Price come in with President Trump’s cabinet. Maybe Sonny Perdue will get a confirmation hearing eventually.
Well, one thought: behind Trump is the 2024 Republican Presidential Ticket.
Not if they don’t get to the whole, you know, legislating part. Eventually that has to happen. Or maybe not. Then we’d be looking at quite the election in 2020.
What a brave widow! God Bless Her!
Disgusting to see Debbie Wasserman-Shultz and Keith Ellison sit during the applause for the SEAL widow. That moment, by the way , was one of the most inspiring events I’ve ever seen. Her husband gave his life, an American life, in service to this country. Ain’t no politics in that. But you two keep up The Narrative and The Agenda. The voters won’t forgive or forget that. Thank God it’s on video to be run on an endless loop for the next election run. Dems just, just do not get it.
“Ain’t no politics in that”….”Thank God it’s on video to be run on an endless loop for the next election run”
No politics in his death, you idiot! And the Libs just MADE it politics by their typically horrid behavior. And even better, the question can be asked next go round, “Mr. Dem, did you stand during Trump’s address to Congress when the SEAL widow was honored?”
I think asking the question that directly does make it a smidge unseemly.
Disagree on the cheap characterization. Have you ever been to a military funeral when the officer presents the flag to the family saying, “on behalf of a grateful nation…”? Well, he just gave her husband a beautiful national funeral and presented that “flag” to her with millions viewing and crying!
As far as the rest of your post, well…is there anything you guys don’t want investigated?
Maybe Bibi Netanyahu should investigate the Raid on Entebbe and see why the only casualty happened to be his older brother. Just Ridiculous.
wait. you, Mr. Benghazi and Her Emails, are calling an investigation ridiculous?
I truly needed the laugh today. Thanks!
The Yemen incident was a military operation thus the military will investigate. Benghazi was a state department/civilian situation.
Calling out the family members of those killed in the line of duty in the middle of a joint address to congress is not a new or novel action. Other presidents have done this before. I’m extremely uncomfortable when I see it occur (regardless of the reason or the person who is the president).
I’m most likely uneasy because I have been to military funerals of service members lost in the line of duty. My only flag service as a person sitting on the mourner side of the chairs was as a family friend of a seaman named Marc who was killed by a terrorist bombing off the cost of Yemen in 2000. He was my 1st cousin best friend. I babysat the two of often while I was a teenager.
Mostly I am one of the background people who are involved in Catholic funeral masses or any type of graveside service you should never recall seeing. I have been doing these services since I was 16 and Reagan was still in office. I have sung at funerals and graveside for soldiers I never met and families I don’t know and only see at the worst moments of there life. Frankly in the last 30 years of being involved in all types of military funerals (active, retired, homeless, even a WW I vet) I find myself protective of these mourners. I got angery if I saw camera crews trying to get the shot of the widow or even worse – the parents – who have to be supported as they walk away. I feel like an intruder when I see their child puts the card with mommy or daddy written on the front inside the casket before the lib is closed. I would be one of the people arrested for slapping a Westboro protester if one had showed.
Being a canter or a soloist at a funeral (especial a military one) is a study in contracts. Some military funerals are easier to sing through and keep it together. Others you keep repeating to yourself, don’t break down or start to tear up so bad your voice cracks while singing. It’s a balancing act doing a solo. You want to do your very best – you want to sing your heart out because the fallen deserve it. You hope your song can offer comfort and make a love one feel cherished, like your voice is surrounding them in a audible hug. At the same time, you are always aware that this is absolutely not about you. This is not about impressing the audience in the pews about how long you can hold a note, how pretty your sound. You don’t want to be praised for your talent as you pack up your music or walk away from an open grave as the grounds crew start lowering the casket. You’re not looking for the thank you or the gain when someone asks in the parking lot if you have a business card or can sing wedding masses too. You want to make sure that at the end of the day, the people will remember the feeling in their heart about the person they buried and the flag they watched folded, not about how damn impressive that version of Amazing Grace sounded by the woman with bright orange spray tan and a overpriced dress standing in the front of the church. I know beyond a doubt that in that moment, in that place, it can never be about anyone but the one who died and the family left behind. Ever.
The line between sharing ones grief/honoring the sacrifice of the lost – verses the exploitation of this pain for gain, any gain, is so fine that I don’t think most people know they are stepping over it. It’s complicated. Every line, every lose and every family member’s way of grieving and celebrating are different. What to one might be viewed as a heartstring moment for a country, might be viewed as something else. I have learned in my years of being involved in funeral services (which is longer then some of you have been alive) is to not get anywhere near the line to begin with so you don’t accidently cross it or some one pushes you over it. I wish political figures would do this more often.
When I saw the first shot of Mrs. Owns, before the ovations and the clapping, she was siting so straight and tense, her whole body shacking, her eyes darting back and forth as she’s trying so hard not to cry. It broke my heart for her lost. It was the direct look I see so many times while cantering a funeral and looking at a family head on, while everyone else see their back or a side view. But it also angered me, just like when I see the camera crews and news vans outside of public limits of funeral zooming in for that close up. I can’t tell you if the President crossed the line of Mrs. Owens grief for his gain. Experience has shown, Trump is not empathetic. When he calls his wife beautiful, he’s telling all of us that he has a beautiful wife. It’s about him, not his wife, not how much he loves her, or the things about her that have nothing to do about how she looks. What I can tell you – I wouldn’t have asked Mrs. Owens to be there If I president. I would not have put myself near the line, knowing my action would be the main topic of the next 24 hour news cycle. Because speeches made by the President of the United States in front of joint sessions of congress (regardless of which president makes them) are always about what the president says he is or is not going to do.
Britt Hume: “Hit it out of the park!”
Dang right!
Isakson Statement on Trump’s Address to Joint Session of Congress
MARIETTA, Ga. – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today released a statement following President Donald Trump’s first address before a joint session of Congress:
“I commend the president for his quick work to fulfill many of his campaign promises, and I’m looking forward to working with him and his administration on behalf of hardworking Americans and Georgians.
“Already during his first few weeks in office, President Trump has taken steps to remove burdensome government regulations to unleash the power of the private sector and stimulate economic growth. Tonight, he shared additional plans to continue these efforts to tear down barriers to economic growth, reform the nation’s tax code and help level the playing field so that hardworking Americans and job creators can reach their full potential.
“The president also highlighted the critical need for increased investment in our nation’s infrastructure, and I couldn’t agree more. Projects like the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project in Georgia should be a top priority for this administration because they will create both immediate and long-term jobs, while increasing economic development and critical safety and environmental improvements.
“President Trump also spoke about how he plans to help reduce the cost of health care for hardworking families. Together, and led by our new secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Tom Price of Georgia, we are working to replace the failed Obamacare law with one based on free-market principles that will bring costs down and increase choice and access for families and businesses.
“At every opportunity, President Trump has put our national security at the forefront of his agenda. He is working to ensure that our military is prepared, with an end goal of peace through strength. This is good for Georgia’s military installations, which provide critical support for our military.
“As the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I’m especially grateful for President Trump’s continued commitment to fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs and making sure our veterans get the care and benefits they have earned. I hope the president will join the Senate and House committees in our efforts to enhance veterans’ choice, expand access to health care, increase accountability at the department and improve the appeals process so that veterans get timely responses. The president’s personal interest and leadership in this area will be a vital asset as we work with the new Veterans Affairs secretary, Dr. David Shulkin, to bring about the change our veterans need.
“I pledge to work alongside this administration and with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get the best results for Georgia and America.”
Per his doctor’s orders following his Feb. 20 back surgery, Isakson is recovering at his home in Marietta, Ga., and watched the speech on television.
Remembering the Forgotten: Collins Statement on President’s Joint Session Address
WASHINGTONCongressman Doug Collins (R-Ga.) attended President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress and issued the following statement in response:
“This evening, President Trump highlighted America’s forgotten men and women, the people who have felt strangely exempted from the promises of the American dream. Too many of our countrymen have watched their industries, schools, and communities wither under policies engineered by an administration that chronically underestimated our people.
“At their core, the November elections were decided by the Americans whom government forgot. Our nation renewed its conservative leadership in Congress and chose a president who would work with legislators rather than against them and against American citizens. Then and now, President Trump has reminded us that we cannot discount the Americans who have built up our economy only to have their own incomes siphoned off by taxes that target the middle class and by regulations that stamp out creativity.
“The 115th Congress joins the president in remembering individuals who have lost their access to tangible health care or jobs or basic liberties or all of the above, and we are responding both in word and deed. The House and Senate are writing, passing, and sending legislation to the White House as our people exchange a president who patronized them for a unified government that is working to empower them to write their own American stories.”
Woodall Statement on President Trump’s First Joint Address to Congress
WASHINGTON, DC – Tonight, President Trump made his first speech before a joint session of Congress, outlining a robust agenda ranging from national security to health care to tax reform. U.S. Representative Rob Woodall (GA 07) – who attended the event – issued the following statement.
“From his first day in office, the President has gone about doing the things he told the American people he would do. Tonight, we heard the President describe his promises in a positive, bold vision for tackling the big challenges we as Americans are facing together. From ensuring the safety and security of our great country, to providing a patient-centered health care system that offers affordable choices for all Americans, to a tax code that unleashes the power of the American economy, nothing is beyond the grasp of the American people and our great nation when we work together. We’ve made significant progress to this point, and the heavy lifting has just begun. I look forward to partnering with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress, the White House, and all of you as we work towards these shared goals.”
Congressman Woodall represents the Seventh Congressional District of Georgia, which includes the majority of Forsyth and Gwinnett counties, and currently serves as Chairman of the Rules Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, as well as serving on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, and Budget Committee.
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.) today released the following statement after attending President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress:
“In November, the American people sent a message to the leaders of this nation that it was time for a change. As a member of the 115th Congress, I am committed to being a part of that change. By cutting burdensome regulations and reforming our healthcare system and broken tax code, we will make America the most competitive place in the world to do business. By preparing our students to join the 21st century workforce and constructing a 21st century infrastructure, we will be ready to meet the challenges ahead. I look forward to working with my colleagues and President Trump to build an America where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”
WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Congressman Rick Allen (R-Ga.-12) issued the following response to President Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress:
“Tonight, Americans everywhere heard the President outline his vision for our country. Focused and forward thinking, his vision revives the American spirit— a spirit in all of us no matter our background or circumstances. In his short time in office, we have already seen promises kept and immediate action. Real people have real problems, and the President’s agenda is not a checklist of issues, but rather an acknowledgment and response to the nation’s outcry and demand for change.
For the past 8 years, Americans have been left behind by policies created inside the beltway with little to no regard for the average Joe and Joanne. Not anymore. Our President is using his business sense to begin chipping away at the ice around our frozen economy, rescinding rules and regulations to provide job creators an economy to flourish in. He has made it his top priority to secure our country by rebuilding our military, supporting law enforcement, enforcing current laws and protecting our borders.
While momentum is building, there is much work to be done. Tax reform and Obamacare repeal and replacement lie in front of us. Georgians and folks all across America deserve better than Obamacare and the President is determined to provide relief to Americans at all costs—working across the aisle and asking Democrats to join him. Our President is not afraid to step outside his comfort zone to keep his word to Americans.
These are the reasons Americans sent Trump to Washington, and these are the reasons Georgians in the 12th district sent me to Congress; two businessmen bringing decades of experience in building a business to rebuild America. I am excited to work with President Trump, Vice President Pence and the new Administration to restore America to its full potential. It’s a new day in Washington.”
If Republicans can give more people access to better healthcare for less money, without using single payer or exploding the debt, I’ll vote Red for the rest of my life
Get ready it is coming. The key word to your statement is access. Everyone should have access to coverage that fits for them. They shouldn’t be forced to buy something that is too expensive and doesn’t meet their needs.
Let access=affordable. Problem solved ;b
You don’t need a Beyonce or Lamborgihini and you know that. You need a 1995 Toyota Camry to get you work. So stop it with the bullshit talking points. Let’s fix this versus your BS. But thanks for copying and pasting Bernie’s tag lines. Some of us are trying to fix this mess.
Trump’s healthcare plan sounded pretty cut from the Republican orthodoxy: tax credits for purchasing health insurance (hand-outs to health insurers), pre-existing conditions (Obamacare), tort reform (nebulous at best), Medicaid block grants (assuming your Governor takes it), and portability. (cause health insurers don’t have plans in multiple states?)
If only we had some sort of national health insurance…instead of trying to fit into this box someone deemed we must fit inside a long time ago.
The idea of tax credits to health insurers in exchange for guaranteed issue/ coverage of pre-existing conditions doesn’t seem off its rocker to me. But i think it was the meetings w the insurers that took Trump off guard. If they can figure out a way for employess on an employer plan to port their plan w them anywhere after separation w the employer, that could be game-changing. But good luck getting the insurers of those employer plans, including potentially self-insured businesses, to play that game. But if this is not the right arena for expansion of interstate commerce power, I don’t know what is. Since interstate sales of plans already on the board, why not a federally-regulated exchange, combining all the pools and plans of all the states? Too much or just right?
Billions here. Trillions there. Tax cuts for everyone!
Where is the money coming from?
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10) today released the following statement regarding President Trump’s first Joint Address to Congress:
“President Trump’s address was an uplifting proclamation of strength, confidence, and hope in pursuit of a greater Nation and better future for every American. In true fashion, President Trump did not sugarcoat the immense challenges that our country faces. Rather, he set the tone and agenda for the American people and reaffirmed that the American dream is alive. Our spirit as a Nation has been revived.
“While we have made progress delivering real solutions for the American people in the first two months of the 115th Congress, there’s more work that needs to be done. In order to grow a robust economy, we must roll back the burdensome, job-crushing regulations that hinder growth and stifle opportunity. It is past time that we overhaul the tax code to incentivize investments supporting our small businesses and job creators rather than targeting them with costly, unnecessary rules and regulations.
“The Trump Administration and this Congress will put America first. National security is a top priority, and we will do everything within our power to fight the new and emerging global threats of this millennium. That starts by adequately funding our national defense, rebuilding our military, and affording our warfighters with every tool they need to accomplish their missions. Simply put, it is the right and duty of the President and Congress to do everything in our legal and Constitutional power to protect the American people.
“I’m confident that America’s best days are ahead. With hard work and renewed optimism, we can secure a bright future for our children and grandchildren. The time is now, and it is the responsibility of this Congress to work with the Administration to create an environment where our Nation can truly flourish.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) released the following statement in response to President Donald J. Trump’s Joint Address to Congress:
“It is refreshing and exciting that President Trump’s speech tonight was a call to unite the country around a strategy for a stronger, brighter future for our nation. For too long, Americans heard out of touch partisan politics and false promises resulting in no concrete solutions to the issues facing our nation. Since he was sworn in, President Trump has wasted no time proving he instead will lead with action and deliver on his promises to all Americans.
“In the House, we will continue our mission with the new administration to deliver results. Together, we will push forward our bold agenda to make America safer, support job creation, cut the bureaucratic red tape, and facilitate a free market health care system that works for all patients. We will continue our fight for a greater America and I am thrilled to have a president and administration that is ready to join us.”
I eagerly await his plan to balance the federal budget…
we’re now in arguments about man’s capacity to change. 2-7%?
Also no one looking at the pay-go approach to regulation he mentioned?
Maybe too vague to even look at?
And are you Libs so lacking in heft that you have to trot out, for the Lib Response, a man who could have been mistaken for Elmer Fudd? Jeeezzzzeee! Too Funny! All that was missing was his overalls!!! Truly, Truly sad!
Just stop, Drew. You’re embarrassing yourself and that bi-coastal Train Wreck you call a Party. The only thing “Mr. Green Jeans” was missing was accompaniment by Junior Samples and George Lindsey! It’s so bad for you guys that even CNN’s Resident Communist, Vann Jones, realizes y’all are toast.
Of course not but at least tryyyyyyyyyy! It looked like the General Store from Green Acres. Minus the glamour of Eva, I might add.
This is my once-monthly comment about how you serve no purpose here. You are like the trashy neighbor who moves in and devalues everyone’s property value. And unfortunately there are no curtains here so everyone can see you fondle yourself every day.
Why are you limiting yourself to once a month? You used to be here all the time. You and Drew used to tag team on me pretty good!
There’s value in daily reminder of the views of ardent Trump supporters.
Obviously the dems used a white, 72 year old former Kentucky Governor to appeal to a demographic that they lost in the 2016 election. After hearing Trump’s speech, it’s clear the dem strategy did not work.