NEWS: Rep. Bowman Issues Statement on Biden’s State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16) issued the following statement on President Biden’s first State of the Union Address.

“Last night’s State of the Union crystallized the need for us to push ahead on our commitment to build this country back by taking care of women, children, and families; investing in people and communities; and working toward a vision for this country that is rooted in racial and economic justice,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16). “More than ever before, we need to show people in New York that the federal government can make positive changes that they can feel in their daily lives. President Biden made it clear that we’re talking about lowering costs and raising wages. We’re talking about universal childcare and pre-k. We’re talking about investing in our infrastructure so that it’s resilient to storms like Ida. We’re talking about making our communities safer by getting ghost guns off the street and providing a holistic, wrap-around approach to public-safety that addresses the root causes of gun violence. We’re talking about investing in our schools and addressing the youth mental health crisis. These are all doable and I am committed to working with President Biden and my colleagues at every level of government to deliver a better, more equitable, and more just tomorrow for our neighbors. He closed with four unifying asks. Let’s fight the opioid epidemic, support the mental health of our kids, support for the mental and overall health and support for veterans, and a grand vision of curing cancer. As a former educator, the focus on children’s mental health, opioids, schools, and taking care of our seniors and veterans is welcomed.”

“While we would have liked to hear more about reforming the justice system, the need to protect Black lives, ensuring environmental justice for all, a concrete plan for immigration reform, the fight to protect our democracy right here at home, the treatment of the gun violence epidemic as a public health crisis, and the fulfillment of his promise to cancel student loan debt — the work does not stop here,” added Congressman Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D. (NY-16). “The President’s plan for public safety also mentioned that we should fund the police and other policing practices as part of our approach to public safety. It’s important to note that law enforcement is only one part of the equation as we fight to ensure a safe public. We need to deal with the issue of poverty and the complex traumas associated with poverty. If we do not address the root causes of violence  and other public health related issues, crime will persist. If we continue to under invest in schools, housing, food and jobs, crime will persist. At a time when people of color still feel terrorized by police, it was disappointing that the President did not push hard enough for law enforcement accountability. There is still no national database of police misconduct. No knock warrants continue to lead to the reckless murders of people like Amir Locke and Breonna Taylor. More needs to be done to stop crime from happening in the first place, and more needs to be done regarding accountability. This is what we mean by a public health approach to public safety and a holistic approach to safer communities.”

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