"The only way to fix a problem is first admitting that it exists. What I had hoped to hear from President Biden was an acknowledgement of the very real challenges that my constituents on Long Island and Americans across the country are facing – from record inflation to rampant crime to the ramifications of the border crisis. That was not the speech we heard.

"When President Biden claimed to have lowered unemployment, he failed to mention that 2.6 million fewer people are in the workforce today. When he said there was an energy crisis, he failed to mention the war he has waged on domestic energy production since day one in office. He called for action on the fentanyl crisis but, on his watch, Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses in record rates as drug traffickers exploit our wide-open border. He neglected entirely to call out our adversaries in Russia and China for their ongoing aggressions ranging from spy balloons to cyber incursions against our critical infrastructure.

"I have been rated one of the most bipartisan Members of Congress by The Lugar Center and I entered tonight with an open mind. What I heard was a grossly partisan speech intended to divide us at a time when the President should have been uniting the nation. While this President is more concerned with taking political punches than addressing the crises facing this country, House Republicans have a plan to deliver on the commitment we made to the American people to create an economy that’s strong, a future that’s free, a nation that’s safe, and a government that’s accountable."