“Three years later, Joe Biden remains completely out of touch with the needs of the American people… I know we can turn the state of our union around, but we can’t succeed by doubling down on failed Biden policies… I will continue to fight for the Volunteer State and for the greatest nation the world has ever seen—the United States of America.”
WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) today released the following video and statement in response to President Joe Biden’s third State of the Union Address:
Remarks as prepared for delivery:
“Good evening. A few moments ago, President Joe Biden concluded his State of the Union Address to the nation.
“I was eager to hear how the President plans to address the growing list of crises that our nation is facing at home and abroad—which have been precipitated by a combination of misguided actions, ineptitude, and bankrupt ideology from his Administration.
“I was hoping to hear an acknowledgement of the struggles Tennesseans and Americans are facing each day—from crushing inflation, fentanyl flooding across our open border into our communities, and rising crime.
“Yet, three years later, Joe Biden remains completely out of touch with the needs of the American people, and once again, I walked out of the House chamber shocked at his persistence in doubling down on the failed direction that he is taking our nation.
“By far President Biden’s greatest betrayal of our citizens and our nation has been his calculated, catastrophic effort to throw open our country’s borders.
“Immediately upon taking office, President Biden halted border wall construction, reinstituted catch and release, and stopped deportations. He sent a clear message to the world that now was the time—our border was wide open for illegal immigration. The Mexican and Chinese international crime syndicates were ready to partner with Biden—and they have.
“This has created not just an unprecedented economic, health, and humanitarian crisis at the southern border, but a full-blown national security crisis for our nation.
“In just three years, roughly 10 million migrants have illegally entered our country—for context, that is a population nearly 8 times the size of the entire Russian army.
“Two weeks ago, I went back to the border to see how the crisis has continued to unfold at Eagle Pass, Texas.
“One thing was clear in talking with Border Patrol, Texas law enforcement, and local residents— it is the worst it’s ever been.
“Thanks to Joe Biden and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, an unprecedented tidal wave of illegal immigration and drugs is washing over our nation. Now, every state is a border state. And every town is a border town.
“Almost 100 Tennesseans per day suffer drug overdoses, nearly a dozen of which tragically die in Tennessee each and every day—extrapolate that across the nation—we are losing hundreds of American children every day. These are young people who have their entire lives ahead of them, and the stories I hear from parents that have lost a child are absolutely heartbreaking.
“Sadly, it doesn’t stop there. In the past few weeks alone, we have seen one violent crime after another committed by illegal aliens who have been released into our country—or allowed to commit crimes, and still remain in our country—on Biden’s watch. Witness the Venezuelan gangsters who brutally beat New York City police officers and were released immediately with no bail. America watched as these criminals walked free and immediately fled to California—presumably with free tickets based on their illegal-alien status.
“We’ve seen illegal aliens signaling their disrespect for America with middle fingers up as they’re released on no bail. Look at what happened at the University of Georgia with the murder of Laken Riley by another criminal who was released into America by Joe Biden in 2022.
“This murderer committed a crime in New York City and was also released without bail by liberal prosecutors—only to flee to Georgia and commit another crime for which he failed to appear in court—before committing the most heinous of crimes.
“No parent should ever have to bury their child because their government failed to keep violent criminals out of the country or failed to deport them once they were here. Keeping our citizens safe and ensuring our nation’s sovereignty is the most basic job of government. Failure is not an option.
“The national security risks are alarming. Of the more-than-2.5-million illegal aliens that crossed our border last year, more than 20,000 were Chinese nationals entering our country for unknown reasons. Individuals from roughly 170 countries crossed the border during the last year, including numerous individuals on the terrorist watch list.
“Regardless of the false, election-year blame-shifting you heard from President Biden tonight, make no mistake: in his first 100 days, Biden took 94 intentional executive actions to undo the most secure border we’ve seen thanks to President Trump’s leadership. No legislation is needed for him to reverse these disastrous actions, but Joe Biden refuses to do so.
“Biden has unleashed and encouraged this crisis for three years—he persisted despite the tragic overdose deaths, violent crime, and community disorder that continue. Let me be clear: there is no question where the blame lies.
“Beyond the border crisis, in so many ways, the America we see today is hard to recognize.
“Every day, Americans tell me that the American Dream feels further and further out of reach for their families.
“Despite the empty rhetoric from the White House, American workers and families are feeling the pain of lower wages and higher prices as a direct consequence of Joe Biden’s failed economic policies.
“Inflation has ravaged the savings and wallets of American families.
“The Consumer Price Index is up nearly 18 percent since President Biden took office— and it’s still rising. Food expenses are the highest they’ve been in 30 years. Yet Biden is declaring ‘mission accomplished’ in the fight against inflation. How out of touch can he be?
“And to make things worse, Americans’ paychecks are not keeping up with inflation. Since Biden took office, average real earnings have declined.
“Too many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, unable to save for retirement, and unable to buy homes. Americans are working harder for less in Joe Biden’s America.
“Perhaps the most unrecognizable aspect of the State of our Union has been President Biden’s unprecedented and un-American weaponization of our Justice Department for political purposes.
“Rather than focusing limited law enforcement resources on the violent crime wave that is sweeping the nation, the Biden Department of Justice under Attorney General Merrick Garland has instead turned its sights on fellow Americans, a special class of Americans – the half of us whose political views differ from Biden’s hard leftist orthodoxy.
“This effort started with sending the FBI to investigate school parents who were rightfully upset with endless COVID school shutdowns—treating those parents as ‘domestic terrorists.’ Let’s not forget Biden’s prosecution of pro-life demonstrators and Biden’s investigations of Catholics as ‘violent extremists.’ The DOJ has gone after states for enacting election integrity measures. Contrast that with Garland’s refusal to enforce federal law to protect Supreme Court justices whose lives were threatened at their homes—in effect a show of support for the illegal intimidation campaign pursued by the left against the highest court in the land.
“Now, as the 2024 election approaches, President Biden’s primary political opponent is facing 91 criminal charges in four jurisdictions—Biden’s DOJ and White House Counsel are coordinating these Kangaroo Court charges around the nation with a clear objective to knock out Biden’s chief political opponent un a courthouse rather than face him at the ballot box.
“Meanwhile, President Biden and his family have been protected, despite making tens of millions of dollars from shady foreign business deals, while lying about President Biden’s direct involvement—with only a modicum of accountability coming and then, only after whistleblowers and a federal judge cried foul.
“When President Trump had a documents dispute, he was prosecuted. When President Biden had a documents dispute—a more egregious one since he wasn’t even President at the time—he was excused as incompetent.
“The rise of lawfare and prosecuting political opponents to avoid facing them at the ballot box—tactics typically reserved for dictatorships and Banana Republics—have now taken hold in the United States under Joe Biden.
“The Biden Administration’s foreign policy failures are obvious to the world: from the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan to war in Ukraine, increased terrorism around the world, more aggression from the CCP, and new wars in the Middle East.
“How out of touch is Joe Biden’s national security team? Days before terrorists killed more than twelve-hundred people and thirty-two Americans in Israel, Biden’s National Security Advisor declared the region ‘quieter today than it has been in two decades’ and claimed ‘we have de-escalated crises in Gaza’.
“The Biden Administration has re-emboldened Iran and lined its pockets with billions in unenforced oil sanctions.
“Iran has used this money to fund terrorism, including Hamas’s October 7th attack against our ally, Israel. Even Biden’s spokesman said Hamas couldn’t function without Iran’s funding. So why is Biden funding them?
“Similarly, under Biden, we’ve seen a reinvigoration of terrorist groups like the Houthis, who are currently attacking American personnel and ships.
“We’ve also seen endless kowtowing to China and the Chinese Communist Party from a parade of Biden officials, even as they fly spy balloons over the American heartland and continue to supply the ingredients for the deadly fentanyl scourge that’s flooding our country and killing our children.
“As a businessman, it is my nature to be optimistic and look for solutions. As a father, I feel compelled to do so.
“I have a great belief in the American people.
“I know we can turn the state of our union around, but we can’t succeed by doubling down on failed Biden policies.
“I will be working tirelessly to move our nation in the right direction, in 2024 and beyond.
“It continues to be one of the greatest blessings of my life to represent the people of Tennessee, and I will continue to fight for the Volunteer State and for the greatest nation the world has ever seen—the United States of America.
“Thank you, and God bless.”
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