WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Barack Obama used his last State of the Union address Tuesday night to defend his Administration’s legacy and to chart the political path forward through a “changing” global climate.
While the president laid out a series of lofty goals for moving the nation forward – including building upon his own achievements – Republicans in Colorado’s delegation took issue with his defense of what they perceived as failed policies.
In a video response following the president’s address, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., said that Obama only presented “more of the same” rhetoric.
“The many challenges that the United States is facing, both at home and abroad, know no partisan ideology, and our strategy to address them shouldn’t either,” Gardner said.
Gardner was especially critical of the president’s willingness to rely on executive actions, saying Obama should use the last year of his presidency to work with Congress to address issues impacting the nation.
“There’s no question our country has made progress, thanks to the incredible and unyielding spirit of the American people,” Gardner said. “But the road to a full recovery still lies ahead. During his last year in the presidency, I urge President Obama to work with Congress, instead of against the people’s representatives, to create more opportunities for Americans everywhere.”
In a show of opposition to the president’s proposed plan to transfer the remaining prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to America, Gardner sat with Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., during the address. All three of the senators represent states that have been discussed as potential locations to move prisoners.
Although Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act in 2015, which included language blocking the transfer of detainees to the U.S., the senators continued to voice their opposition to his plan.
U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, was particularly critical of Obama for “minimizing the threat of terrorism.” Tipton said that Obama’s statement that “ISIL does not threaten our national existence” undermined the very real threat of terrorism.
“I sat beside the police chief out of San Bernadino, California, who expressed the challenges that they face from terrorism attacks here on American soil,” Tipton told The Durango Herald following the president’s remarks. “To minimize this thing as two people in a garage working on a computer, scaring and maybe hurting civilians, minimizes the threat that Americans feel, and we need to be very mindful that it’s not isolated here.”
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet also stressed the need to remain vigilant to threats while celebrating our economic recovery, saying that “We must also keep Americans safe.” The State of the Union occurred the same day that 10 U.S. sailors were taken into custody by Iran.
“We must also keep Americans safe,” Bennet said. “That means moving aggressively to defeat ISIS, continuing to hold Iran accountable and deterring North Korea from further hostilities.”
egraham@durangoherald.com. Edward Graham is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald.