Senator Harris Statement on President Trump's Address to Congress

Statement

Senator Kamala D. Harris issued the following statement in response to President Trump's Address to a Joint Session of Congress:

"Behind the political rhetoric tonight was an affirmation of this President's divisive agenda and a complete lack of substance and specifics.

"Tonight, the President failed to provide comfort to the hundreds of thousands of DREAMers and their families who live under constant fear of deportation in California and across the country. Treating all immigrants like criminals disparages the millions of incredibly hardworking and patriotic families who simply want a chance at the American dream.

"The President failed to provide assurances to the 5 million Californians who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health insurance. Let's be clear -- access to health care is not the guarantee of health care. The American people are counting on us to improve and build on what we've made, not go back to a time when insurance companies could discriminate against women or those with a preexisting condition.

"And the President failed to speak to refugees, many of whom have been vetted for two years, but are now facing a country that denies them entry. I sat with refugees in California who were detained in airports for hours with their families and lawyers on the other side of a door. This is wrong and it makes us less safe.

"The President said tonight that "we are witnessing a renewal of the American spirit.' And I believe that renewal lives in the millions of Americans who are standing up to attempts to rip away progress and go back on our ideals. That is the chorus that has become an earthquake. We must continue to fight for an inclusive America that extends the ladder of economic opportunity and lives up to our core values."

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