The State of the Distracted Union

What can we expect to hear during the State of the Union Address in 2019?

The clock is ticking and President Trump will have a choice to make. And he’s already outlined his options: shut down the government again or declare a national emergency.

“We’re going to build a wall…”

We have heard President Trump speak this line countless times since his presidential campaign.

It is an idea that has divided the country, but won Donald Trump many supporters.

Americans have been told — The caravan is coming-a caravan of poor migrants, many of them women and children, fleeing violence and poverty.

Americans were told the caravan posed such a threat that Trump initially told the military that it should fire at anyone who throws a rock. “Consider it a rifle.”

In reality, the caravan was thousands of miles and weeks away from the U.S. border, shrinking in size, and unlikely to reach the U.S. before the mid-term election.

The mid-term election is over. The Democrats have regained control of the House, and the Senate remains under Republican control. During the State of the Union the two Chambers will come together under the dome of the United States Capitol as one body. The differences between the two chambers couldn’t be more stark, however, it should be a time to unify our nation under the same interest and that is — doing what is in the best interest of the American people.

Recently, I had a conversation with staff on the House Small Business Committee who are very concerned about the impact the government shutdown has had on small businesses across the country and are holding a hearing this week to examine the impact. The country experienced one of the longest government shutdowns in history — 35 days and remains on the brink of another shutdown, if a budget deal isn’t reached by Feb. 15.

It was reported that the President will share his vision for the country during the State of the Union… We can bridge old divisions, heal old wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions and unlock the extraordinary promise of America’s future. The decision is ours to make.

However, in advance of the State of the union speech on Tuesday, the President launched an attack on twitter on Sunday — “Dems do nothing. If there is no Wall, there is no Security. Human Trafficking, Drugs and Criminals of all dimensions — KEEP OUT!”

Regardless of which message is delivered during the State of the Union address, “the decision is ours to make”.

You are right Mr. President the decision is ours and I choose…

The “I” Word — Not “Impeach” — We Shall Not Be Impugned!

We the people, of the United States of America have had enough. We are not a mob, but, yes we are tired of the whiplash political cycle that has been thrust upon us. We are tired of the truth being assailed. We are tired of being unduly criticized. We are not living in an alternative universe, so don’t give us alternative facts.

We the people, have compassion for our neighbors in our community and care about those who live in other places.

We the people, are a diverse society. We are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, who hold positions as: teachers, preachers, police officers, federal workers, business owners, students, and numerous stations in life, who want to see progress from our labor, as well as care for our planet by being good global citizens.

Don’t tell me as an American citizen that children stripped from the arms of their parents and having them put into cages is okay. As a reminder, in history similar acts took place during slavery: Enslaved people lived with the perpetual possibility of separation that was carried out by stripping away children and parents. Further, these decisions were, of course, beyond the control of the people whose lives they affected the most.

Don’t tell me as an American citizen that building a wall will help make me feel safe, when I can no longer walk in my own neighborhood because someone may call the police, because that someone who doesn’t look like me thought I must be out of place.

We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.

We will not be impugned.

About the Author: For more than a decade, Tonya Saunders, Principal at Washington Premier Group (WPG) has been involved in strategic advocacy recognizing it takes both sides of the aisle to garner support for legislative initiatives. She has been involved in passing legislation on healthcare, technology and telecommunications among others — representing trade associations, coalitions and corporations on Capitol Hill. She has been professionally recognized, is a Board member of the National Woman’s Party and has received numerous awards in advocacy and leadership.

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