Congressman Cleaver’s Statement on President Biden’s Address to Congress

(Washington, D.C.) – United States Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after President Biden's Address to the Joint Session of Congress.

"Tonight, I am profusely proud to call Joe Biden my President. In this monumental moment, as we seek to build back better from the horrific COVID-19 pandemic, and heal the deep divisions within our nation, President Biden's empathetic and aspirational call to our nation's better angels was precisely what the country needed.

"The President laid out a vision for the American people that will propel our nation into the future, while preserving the future for generations to come. A future where working class Americans reap the benefits of their hard work; where families have the support they need to not only grow but thrive; where we seek to build our economy from the bottom up and not the top down; where fairness, justice, and opportunity are paramount rather than platitudes.

"President Biden made it unequivocally clear that this will take a herculean effort; however, the American people have never been one to shy away from a challenge. This is the home of the brave and the land of the dreamers—and after the nightmare of 2020, tonight President Biden allowed us to dream again. We have an opportunity to transform this nation in a way we haven't seen since the New Deal and the Great Society, and I am eager to work with President Biden to turn that dream into reality."

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Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee; Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy; member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress; member of the Committee on Homeland Security; and a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.