Hispanic Federation Statement on the State of the Union
"Last night's State of the Union Address was as disappointing as it was unsurprising. Those of us who have listened to President Trump carefully over these last few years have come to expect speeches that combine egoism and deception in equal parts. There are too many examples of this sad pattern of behavior in last night's speech to mention, but two in particular are worth highlighting because of the damage they cause to our communities and the nation.
"The first is the President’s “iron-clad pledge to American families,” that he “will always protect families with pre-existing conditions.” Even for this President, this lie is shameless. Since entering the White House, Trump has been determined to end the Affordable Care Act and its protections, including those preventing insurers from denying coverage, or charging more, to those with a pre-existing condition. In fact, the Trump Administration has attempted repeatedly to end these guarantees for American families through an array of legislation and lawsuits.
"The second were the baseless and manipulative attempts to once again demonize our nation’s immigrants. His celebration of his failed border wall project in the Southwest, his fear-mongering against undocumented immigrants, and his framing of the current immigration crisis as "us-versus-them" feeds the growing suspicion, hate, and violence directed at our communities.
"In this vein, we can also contextualize the President’s failure to mention the continuing crisis in Puerto Rico. Trump continues to see our families in Puerto Rico as “them” and not “us.” Even after the unprecedented swarm of earthquakes that have struck Puerto Rico over the past month, his administration continues to illegally withhold and place barriers in the way of distribution of billions of dollars Congress approved for the island in 2018 for post-Hurricane Maria disaster relief and reconstruction.
"Today, like every day, the member agencies and staff of Hispanic Federation are on the front lines helping to build stronger Latino communities and a stronger nation. We are more committed than ever to working with our allies to achieve a more perfect union, one that embraces our nation’s diversity and is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice."
