Rep. Joe Kennedy III gives Democratic response to State of the Union

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you good evening ladies and gentlemen it is an absolute privilege to join you all tonight we are here in Fall River Massachusetts a proud American city an American city built by immigrants from textiles to robots this is a place that knows how to make great things, the students are here with us this afternoon and the Auto Tech program at Diamond Regional Technical School continues that rich legacy, as do many of America's hometowns. Fall River has faced its share of storms, but the people here are tough, they fight for each other, they fight for their city, it is a fitting place to gather as our nation reflects on the

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, this is a difficult task, Many have spent the last year anxious, angry, fearful, we all feel fractured. fault lines across our country we hear the voices of Americans who are forgotten and feel abandoned we see an economy that makes stocks or investor portfolios rise and corporate profits rise but doesn't give workers their fair share of the reward a government that fights to stay knee-deep in Russia and artistic democracy an all-out war on environmental protection a Department of Justice rolling back civil rights every day hate and supremacy march proudly in our streets bullets tearing apart our classrooms concerts and congregations pointing to our safest sacred places and this persistent sinking feeling, no matter your political persuasion, that this is not right, this is not who we are, it would be easy to dismiss the last year as chaos, partisanship as politics, but It's much bigger than the fact that this administration isn't just targeting the laws.

Those who protect us are pointing to the very idea that we are all worthy of protection. For them, dignity is not something you are born with, but something that is measured by your net worth, your celebrity, your headlines, the size of your audience. Not to mention the gender of your spouse the country of your birth the color of your skin the god of your prayers your record is rebuked to our highest American ideal the belief that we are all worthy that we are all equal that we all count in the eyes of our law and our leaders our God and our government, that is the American promise, but today, ladies and gentlemen, that promise is being broken by an administration that cruelly evaluates our worth and decides who makes the cut and who can be traded, They are turning American life into a zero. sum game where for one to win another must lose where we can guarantee the security of the United States if we cut our safety net where we can expand health care and Mississippi if we gut it in Massachusetts we can reduce taxes for corporations today if we raise them to the families tomorrow where we can care for the sick children if we sacrifice the dreamers we are bombarded with one false choice after another the coal miners or the single mothers the rural communities or the inner cities the coast or the heart as if the mechanic in Pittsburgh was a teacher in Tulsa and a daycare worker in Birmingham, our bitter rivals, rather than mutual victims of a system rigged by force toward those at the top, as if the parent who lies awake terrified that his or her son or daughter transgender being beaten and bullied at school was more or less legit than a father whose heart is broken by a daughter and the clutches of an opioid addiction, so here's the dump as an answer Democrats offered tonight, we elect We both fight, we fight for both, because the strongest and richest nation in the world should not have to leave anyone behind. we choose we choose better treatment for everyone who calls our country home we choose a living wage paid leave affordable child care your family needs to survive we will choose pensions that are solvent trade pacts your fair roads and bridges that will win' Trust a good education you can afford would require a health care system that offers you mercy, whether you suffer from cancer, depression or addiction, we will choose an economy strong enough to boast record stock prices and brave enough to admit that top CEOs earn 300 times the average worker you are not right, we chose Fall River, we chose the thousands of American communities whose paths are not paved with power or privilege, but with honest effort, good faith and the determination to build something better for their children, who is ours The story began the day our founding fathers and mothers set sail for a new world fleeing oppression and intolerance.

He continued with every word of our independence, cooking the audacity to declare that all men are created equal, an imperfect promise for a nation striving to become just another nation. perfect

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grew with every step of the suffragettes, every voice of the Freedom Riders, with every weary soul, we welcome to our shores and all the dreamers who are watching tonight, let me be absolutely clear, Odette is embarking on a new address. Donate we are going to fight we are going to fight for you no WE are going to lahar you are part of our history we will fight for you and we will not walk away America we carry that history on our shoulders you invaded Washington last year to ensure that no parent has to worry if can afford to save their children's lives marched together proudly last weekend, thousands of people on the streets of Las Vegas in Philadelphia and Nashville, you put them high on your mother's shoulders and held a sign that said build a wall and my generation will tear it down, tell me boldly that you firmly say black lives matter, you walk through floods, fight hurricanes, brave wildfires and mudslides to save a stranger You fight your own silent battles every day, you drag their tired bodies to that extra shift so your families don't feel the pain of scarcity, you leave your loved ones at home to defend our country abroad, you patrol our neighborhoods At night, you serve, you rescue, you help yourself heal, more than any law or leader, debate or disagreement, that is what drives us towards progress, bullies can strike, they can leave. a brand, but never, not once in the history of our United States, have they managed to match the strength and spirit of a people united in defense of their political futures.

Politicians can be applauded for the promises they make. Our country will be judged by the promises we make. maintain that that is the measure of our character, that is what we are among many ladies and gentlemen, have faith, have faith, the

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of our union is hopeful or resilient and lasting. God bless you, God bless your families and God bless the United States. America thank you