Billy Long: President Trump showed restraint and class during State of the Union

(From Seventh District Congressman Billy Long)

In 2019, I told President Trump that he had just delivered his best State of the Union speech ever as he walked out of the chamber that night; however, the speech he gave Tuesday evening left last year's address in the dust.

The president touted our nation’s successes and detailed the pro-growth, forward-thinking agenda that has created our strong economy. 

Our country is experiencing a “Great American Comeback,” and thanks to President Trump, our country has been restored to the prosperous and admired nation we once were. 

President Trump’s State of the Union address laid out his vision, and now it is Congress’ responsibility to work together to sustain and continue this upward trajectory. 

The fact that the president knew he would be acquitted the next day but never mentioned impeachment Tuesday night is worthy of praise; he showed restraint and class where others did not, proving that above all else, he prioritizes the American people.

Under President Trump’s leadership, we have witnessed the stock market reach record-breaking highs and a blue-collar boom; more Americans are thriving and enjoying the fruits of their labor. 

Seven million new jobs have been created since President Trump took office, far exceeding the projections of the previous administration. 

Thanks to the president’s efforts, unemployment has reached a 50-year low. Across the board, Americans are getting back to work and earning more, especially blue-collar workers. 

Since President Trump’s election, 7 million Americans have come off of food stamps and 10 million Americans have been lifted off of welfare. The net worth of the bottom half of wage-earners has increased by 47 percent -- three times faster than the increase for the top one percent.

Across the country, Americans are reaping the benefits of this economy, but there is so much work yet to be done. 

President Trump reminded Congress that we must tackle the obstacles that stand between Americans and prosperity like eliminating the high cost of prescription drugs and securing our borders. 

President Trump urged Congress to get a bipartisan solution on lowering prescription drug prices to his desk and promised that he would sign it into law, something we were making real progress on until Speaker Pelosi killed it in favor of her own partisan alternative. 

Even in such a polarizing political climate, Republicans and Democrats have expressed desires to address prescription drug costs, and it’s a shame that Speaker Pelosi is so opposed to letting the president win that she would be willing to tank a bill that would swiftly address this problem. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only crisis Democrats are ignoring. Every day, tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants are entering our country illegally, placing undue burdens on American taxpayers. 

Rather than address the issue by improving our border and giving ICE agents the resources they need to secure our border, Democrats have welcomed them into their cities, completely ignoring the burden it places on hardworking Americans.

While the president was able to get a few sporadic claps from Democrats, their overall icy reception and stoic faces could not detract from the fact that under President Trump’s leadership, Americans are doing better than ever. 

While President Trump has delivered on his promises that have improved the lives of all Americans, Democrats have dedicated much of the last three years to focusing solely on punishing him for winning the 2016 election with a failed attempt to remove him from office, and it’s clear they resent his success. The president closed by promising that the best is yet to come, and I will work to make sure that this promise becomes a reality.