President Donald Trump’s first joint address to Congress was well received by GOP lawmakers, who said they are ready to get to work on his ambitious agenda.
House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia said he was impressed with Trump’s presidential tone, adding he’s confident the president will be able to work with the legislative branch in key areas, including tax reform, health care reform and immigration reform, all of which he heavily emphasized in his speech.
“The best part for me was the overall presentation — he laid out the challenges facing our country and I think he showed the leadership that’s necessary to line up and address each one of those problems in a way I think that if the Congress can come together and work with him,” he told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
Freshman Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, a retired Air Force general, said thought it was strong, “if not his best” speech yet. He was particularly enthused about
“The most important thing to me is national security, and our military’s been hurt so bad this last decade — our readiness levels are in shambles, our modernization has fallen behind and our personnel has suffered — so I thought his emphasis on rebuilding the military was important.” he told TheDCNF.
Bacon said he also thinks the president spoke well on assuring Americans he’s working to instill policies that will level the playing field and bring jobs back the U.S.
Rep. Jody Hice of Georgia said Trump did a great job of articulating his vision, adding he thought it embodied a sense of unity.
“There were multiple highlights for me, I guess if I could wrap it up, I would say his comments on keeping America safe both through the military all the way down to supporting our law enforcement,” he said. “People want to know that they’re secure and the government’s keeping them secure and that the possibility for job creation and growth was there.”
Goodlatte said Trump’s speech offered a sharp contrast to what they heard from President Barack Obama during his time in office.
“He also showed great determination to stand up for America the world and I don’t think we have seen that in a president in a long time,” he said.
Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk echoed Goodlatte’s sentiments, saying it was refreshing to hear a president that recognizes the greatness of the country.
“It’s about time we had a speech that looks over the horizon and talks about American exceptionalism, that our best days are ahead of us, and we are exceptional,” he told TheDCNF. “There’s only one flag on the moon, and it’s ours, and that’s a testament to what we can do when we come together — and not looking at the past, understanding the mistakes of the past eight years and what we have to do to overcome them. ”
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