Today, Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) released the following statement after President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress:

“Tonight, President Trump outlined a deeply troubling vision for America’s future. The plans he described will jeopardize the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans – from increasing already sky-high prices to stripping healthcare away from our friends and neighbors who need it most. He also continued to demonstrate a complete disregard for the truth. Trump looked directly into the eyes of the American people and our allies around the world and lied about the devastation his policies will cause.

“Thanks to Trump, our economy is getting weaker with each passing week. His tariffs are already raising prices for American consumers and will wreak havoc on critical sectors of our North Carolina economy, including healthcare, manufacturing. and agriculture. Meanwhile, he is working to slash billions in federal funding for Medicaid and other essential services. On top of all this, Trump has empowered an unelected billionaire to freeze funding for our state and gut our federal workforce, unconstitutionally blocking resources and services that millions of Americans rely on to make ends meet. Moreover, at this precarious moment for democracy around the globe, Trump continues to side with the autocrat Vladimir Putin over the innocent people of Ukraine. Under President Trump, the United States can no longer be trusted as a global defender of peace and democracy.

“After witnessing Trump spreading lies and spouting hateful rhetoric, Congressional Democrats remain absolutely committed to using every tool at our disposal to fight back against his policies and stand up for our values. We will continue to show up every day for the American people. And we will continue to fight back when Trump threatens our constitution and the people we were elected to serve.”