2019 State of the Union address: on Families & Children


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: State of the Union: protest ignoring sexual assaults

The most important political issues of the past year will be on display, not only in what President Trump says in his State of the Union address, but in who will be in the audience. Lawmakers, along with the president and first lady, pick guests every year to highlight or protest the policies of an administration.

Freshman rising star, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is bringing Ana Maria Archila, a community activist and sexual assault survivor who confronted former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., in an elevator over his support for then-Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The emotional moment was caught by TV cameras and quickly went viral, although it did not ultimately affect Kavanaugh's confirmation or Flake's support for it.

Source: KUOW 94.9 FM (NPR) on 2019 State of the Union Feb 5, 2019

Donald Trump: Doubled the child tax credit

Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in half a century. African-American, Hispanic-American and Asian-American unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever recorded. More people are working now than at any time in our history--157 million.

We passed a massive tax cut for working families and doubled the child tax credit. We virtually ended the estate, or death, tax on small businesses, ranches, and family farms.

Source: 2019 State of the Union address to United States Congress Feb 5, 2019

Donald Trump: Girls smuggled across border into modern-day slavery

Tolerance for illegal immigration is not compassionate--it is cruel. One in three women is sexually assaulted on the long journey north. Smugglers use migrant children as human pawns to exploit our laws and gain access to our country.

Human traffickers and sex traffickers take advantage of the wide open areas between our ports of entry to smuggle thousands of young girls and women into the United States and to sell them into prostitution and modern-day slavery.

Source: 2019 State of the Union address to United States Congress Feb 5, 2019

Stacey Abrams: Family values: faith, service, education & responsibility

Growing up, my family went back and forth between lower middle class and working poor. Yet, even when they came home weary and bone-tired, my parents found a way to show us all who we could be. My librarian mother taught us to love learning. My father, a shipyard worker, put in overtime and extra shifts; and they made sure we volunteered to help others. Later, they both became United Methodist ministers, an expression of the faith that guides us.

These were our family values--faith, service, education and responsibility.

Our power and strength as Americans lives in our hard work and our belief in more. My family understood firsthand that while success is not guaranteed, we live in a nation where opportunity is possible. But we do not succeed alone--in these United States, when times are tough, we can persevere because our friends and neighbors will come for us.

Source: Democratic response to 2019 State of the Union speech Feb 5, 2019

  • The above quotations are from 2019 State of the Union address to Congress, plus the Democratic response, Feb. 6, 2019.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Families & Children.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Families & Children.
  • Click here for more quotes by Elizabeth Warren on Families & Children.
2020 Presidential contenders on Families & Children:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: May 25, 2020