State of the Union: Trump’s priorities are dead wrong for America

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump tonight delivered his second State of the Union address, which was delayed due to his dangerous government shutdown that inflicted unnecessary pain on federal employees, contractors, and operations across the country while perpetrating damage to the U.S. economy.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Lily Eskelsen García, who attended the speech as a guest of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California):

“The State of the Union address comes at a time when this country is more divided than ever, and Donald Trump made clear he seeks to deepen those divisions while misleading the American public in the process. His priorities do not reflect those of the majority of Americans and will only serve to harm working families, our kids, our schools and our communities.

“Trump’s actions speak louder than his rhetoric as we have witnessed him push for the wrong priorities like building a border wall, arming teachers, giving tax cuts to the wealthy and pushing for vouchers that siphon off money from public schools. Trump and his administration should focus on what will truly help students — significant investments in public education and public infrastructure, protecting schools and communities from gun violence, and making affordable health care for all. Trump’s fixation on creating deeper chaos and his misguided pursuit of building a wall reflect the wrong values. The president should be investing in students, not walls.”