College Republicans Respond to the State of the Union

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Max Williams

The country, the government and the GOP had a lot to be proud of at this year’s State of the Union. With the economy at all-time highs, ISIS on the run and middle-class Americans bringing home more money than ever, it would be hard not to celebrate a new era of prosperity.

Yet, it seemed as if Democrats could not be bothered. While staying seated for opposing presidential remarks is sadly a mainstay these days, some members of the Democratic party refused to attend. The ones who did attend sat on their hands or phones while the heroic war stories of Coast Guard Agent Ashlee Leppert, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent CJ Martinez or Democratic People’s Republic of Korea defector Ji Seong-ho were celebrated.

The singular focus on derailing the Trump administration has resulted in Democrats losing what is really important: the welfare of the American people. It is their job to improve the lives of their constituents. They are making a conscious decision to do the opposite by actively choosing to shut down the government, temporarily closing the Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Education and more.

The new tax law has resulted in millions of employees receiving pay raises and millions of jobs are pouring back into our nation, jobs President Obama swore “were never coming back.”

President Trump’s speech on Tuesday Jan. 30 was a manifestation of the growing partisanship that plagues legislative chambers. More and more it is apparent that party comes before country, a tragedy by any standard.

To have success in the 2018 midterms, Democrats must abandon the ‘doom and gloom’ rhetoric that has plagued their party through years of lost elections. They, to some degree, have to adopt a calculated mix of optimism and national pride. Instead of actively fighting against legislation that is bringing wealth back to their constituencies, they should focus on the future with a fresh agenda and feasible plan of action that includes building people up, not tearing them down. Both sides need to drop this disrespectful mentality. Now is the time for action, for change, for America. We’ve heard the talking points now, and as Trump pointed out, is the time for results.