NBCSL President Laura Hall’s Statement on President Biden’s SOTU Address
Washington, D.C.—March 8, 2024—The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) released the following statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address to the nation delivered on March 7, 2024:
President Biden has made considerable progress for the American people since he took office in 2021, and NBCSL supports the vision he laid out for the future of the United States.
“President Biden continues to deliver on his promises to lift up middle- and working-class families and hold true to the core values that have defined America—no matter how they arrived on our shores,” said Representative Laura Hall (AL), president of NBCSL. “At a time when the nation seems to be undoing itself, he embraces democracy and deserves praise for his efforts to fight for and protect freedoms that help ensure a bright and equitable future for all, especially our constituents whom we represent in our respective districts.”
We are pleased that the racial wealth gap is the smallest it’s been in 20 years, and that there is historic job growth and small business growth for minorities, including Black, Hispanic and Asian-Americans. We applaud the president’s efforts to provide affordable high-speed internet for every American—regardless of where they live—to help empower low-income communities and make it easier for Americans to obtain and maintain jobs, whether they’re in the public or private sectors, or in at-will or union employment.
We commend President Biden on his healthcare initiatives to decrease premiums and prescription drug costs, as well as his promise to expand the savings beyond seniors so that every American can get the care they need. In addition, his proposed focus on reproductive freedom, research on women’s health and federal enforcement of the Violence Against Women Act will help families all across the country and benefit communities of every race and ethnicity.
Furthermore, NBCSL is proud of the work Biden’s Administration is doing to make education more accessible, including reducing student debt, making college more affordable by increasing Pell Grants for working- and middle-class families, and its investments in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and other Hispanic and Minority-serving institutions.
We applaud the president’s efforts to promote clean energy by creating clean-energy jobs and taking action on environmental justice and the legacy of pollution. The building and installation of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations will make electric vehicle ownership more convenient and accessible for all Americans as the country aims to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030.
As state legislators, we are pleased to have benefitted from the resources from the Administration’s American Rescue Plan to address critical issues in our state legislatures, including public safety and look forward to continuing the important work to invest in more police officers, more mental health workers and more community violence intervention.
Finally, NBCSL joins the Administration in urging Congress to address voter suppression and extreme gerrymandering by passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to ensure everyone the right to vote. NBCSL will continue to work with President Biden and his team on behalf of our constituents and support the Administration where needed.
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NBCSL is the nation’s premier organization exclusively serving the interests of African American state legislators. With more than 700 members collectively representing over 60 million Americans, NBCSL serves as a national network, advocate and catalyst for public policy innovation, information exchange, and joint action on critical issues. Visit nbcsl.org to learn more.