WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement in response to the president’s annual State of the Union address.

“Tonight, President Biden reflected on the historic progress we made last year. Amid tough economic and political odds, we accomplished more than anyone imagined. We grew jobs at a record pace, cut the cost of prescription drugs, enacted the biggest climate action in history, passed the first gun safety bill in a generation, protected marriage equality, and delivered billions in new funding for Hawai‘i, among other things.

“As we work to implement these historic laws, it was encouraging to hear the president lay out a plan to make sure everyone has the chance to benefit from these reforms and investments.

“While still have more work to do to, I hope my colleagues in Congress support the president’s call for unity and back his proposals to create a stronger economy, help lower costs for people, and uphold democracy abroad.”

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