Statement of Sen. Mark Warner on President Trump’s State of the Union address

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement on President Trump’s State of the Union address:

“The President missed an opportunity tonight to show he’s serious about being a bipartisan dealmaker. Despite the length of this speech, there was little in it that reached beyond the divisiveness and partisanship of his first year in office.

“He has been saying for months that investing in our nation’s roads, bridges and tunnels must be a priority. And I agree. But after months of talking, it’s time for the President to move beyond rhetoric, start offering specifics, and be serious about real funding solutions.

“I also believe that there is a bipartisan deal to be had that would grant Dreamers – the undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children –  a pathway to citizenship, and increase funding for border security. But tonight President Trump showed that he is not willing to stop catering to the most heartless, extreme elements of his base who want to restrict nearly all forms of legal immigration.

“At a time when the dedicated men and women of the FBI and the Department of Justice are under attack from the President’s allies on Capitol Hill, I was extremely disappointed not to hear the President deliver a clear and unequivocal statement of support for our nation’s career law enforcement officers.

“Finally, I was particularly disturbed that the President chose to demagogue hard-working federal employees, who are already being asked to do more with less with every passing year in service to their country.”​​