The State of the Union speech will be followed by a progressive answer from Illinois' Rep. Delia Ramirez, a first-term Democrat.
She will likely discuss President Joe Biden's speech in her speech on Tuesday on behalf of the leftist Working Families Party and counter the Republican comments from Rep. Juan Chillari of Arizona and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas.
"Comprehensive immigration reform, Medicare, abortion rights, Social Security, and Medicare are not political talking points." She declared in a statement that they are crucial to the health of our country. We also need to demonstrate to the working class what Democrats would do for them if they helped us regain the majority. That is how we will get a majority of working families in Congress.
Ramirez cited Sanders' past defense of President Donald Trump as White House press secretary and as a conservative governor in claiming that her pick was a step forward for Republican "extremism."
Ramirez continued, "That presents Democrats with an opportunity—if we can grasp it.
Recent years have seen the progressive minor party respond to the president's speech, with high-profile liberals' appearances increasing interest in the alternative speech. Members of the progressive "squad," Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), respectively, responded to Biden's addresses in 2022 and 2021.
Ramirez, who represents a Chicago-area district with a sizable Latino population, also wants to address the criticism that Democrats need to do more to attract Latino votes from the working class.
Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas), a fellow member of the Working Families Party, stated that Delia "would be setting out a vision for how Democrats can win working-class voters of all races and nationalities by fighting for a government that has working people's backs."
Additionally, she will call on the Biden administration to act on liberal goals, including lowering the price of medication and lifting the eligibility threshold for overtime pay. The bulk of attempts to enact progressive legislation this Congress is expected to be thwarted by Republican control of the House and the slim Democratic majority in the Senate.
Other Democrats who felt Tlaib's speech undermined the president last year criticized her answer, which contrasted with Biden's statements. The address this year could have a reconciliatory tone.
In an interview before the address, Maurice Mitchell, national director of the Working Families Party, stated, "We want to contribute—constructive, in partnership with the president—to guarantee that Democrats focus on the needs of working people."
Last year's State of the Union also elicited responses from the Congressional Black Caucus and the centrist organization No Labels, in addition to the answer from the opposition party. This year, neither organization has yet to announce a speech.
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