WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden’s first time speaking to Congress left Ohio lawmakers feeling quite differently about his agenda.
What You Need To Know
- Ohio Democrats were thrilled with Biden’s speech, calling it “very constructive”
- Ohio Republicans were disappointed, calling it “socialism in slow motion”
- The political divide is not surprising, but is a sign that Biden faces huge challenges in getting his agenda passed
- Biden is pledging to meet with more Republicans before pushing forward
Compare what Toledo Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D, OH-9) said with what southeast Ohio Rep. Bill Johnson (R, OH-6) said afterward.
“To me, it was a very constructive, moderately-delivered speech,” Kaptur told Spectrum News Wednesday night. “He wasn’t in a frenzy or anything like that. He talked sense to the American people.”
Johnson, a staunch conservative, had a different takeaway.
“There’s no question that he made a good speech,” Johnson said Thursday morning. “And he’s really good at disguising liberal policies behind a sheep’s vernacular.”
A politically-divided reaction to a joint address like the one Wednesday is no surprise, but it’s a sign that Biden faces a huge challenge trying to get significant Republican support for the giant policy proposals he has laid out, from infrastructure to policing form to raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy.
Central Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan (R, OH-4) called Biden’s agenda “socialism in slow motion” and told Spectrum News it’s a non-starter.
“He’s talked about unity and then all he does is attack Republicans,” Jordan said Wednesday night. “He’s talked about unity and he didn’t even work with Republicans and spent $2 trillion…I mean, nothing really makes sense. He says one thing and you see something different.”
For Rep. Tim Ryan (D, OH-13), who represents northeast Ohio, that type of outlook is why he feels Biden should push ahead even if Republicans won’t sign on.
“If you have real concerns, we want to hear them, but just screaming socialism when we’re trying to fix bridges and fill potholes, and it doesn’t make any sense, and we know that you’re being disingenuous, we have to move forward,” Ryan said Thursday morning.
Infrastructure was a big focus of Biden’s speech and it will be a big topic of debate on Capitol Hill in the weeks ahead.
Ohio lawmakers from both parties have repeatedly said it needs to be addressed, but there are sharp divides over Biden’s $4 trillion proposal that would cover everything from roads and bridges to childcare and education.
“I think the infrastructure bill — extremely popular in regions like I represent,” Rep. Kaptur said. “And it means jobs and it means middle class wages.”
But Rep. Johnson said his constituents don’t like the plan.
“It would be different if the president’s infrastructure plan actually called for infrastructure upgrades, but only about 6 to 8% of what he is proposing is going to go toward roads and bridges,” Johnson said. “That’s what’s important to the people that I represent.”
Biden is pledging to meet with more Republicans to negotiate, but without a deal, he would have to use a procedural maneuver to push some of his proposals through the Senate, a move some voters might see as undermining the president’s call for bipartisanship.
