Members of Colorado's congressional delegation split sharply — and predictably — along party lines Tuesday night in response to President Joe Biden's second State of the Union address.
Biden delivered the speech to a joint session of a divided Congress, flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris, who presides over the Senate, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican.
The state's Democrats cheered as Biden listed the administration's accomplishments and lauded his assertion that the country is on the rebound, while Republicans mostly withheld their applause and derided the president's claims in social media posts and statements.
Some of Colorado's DC denizens provided running commentary on social media during the speech, while others issued their assessments soon after Biden concluded the roughly 80-minute address.
"In the last two years, we've made historic progress," tweeted Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who won election in November to a third term. "But Colorado families still struggle in an economy that relentlessly benefits large corporations and the top 10%. We need to keep building an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy few."
Quoting a line from Biden's speech in a tweet, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Silt Republican, mocked the president's assertion that "we've been sent here to finish the job" by adding, "Yes, Biden certainly is finishing off whatever is left of the middle class."
Boebert, one of Biden's most vocal critics in the House, kept up a steady stream of criticism on Twitter.
"Joe, you're not going to win Ohio," she tweeted. "Stop pandering."
After Biden invoked domestic energy production, Boebert responded, "Joe Biden hates American energy production and it's shameful, costly, and unsustainable."
At one point, Boebert tweeted a brief video clip depicting her nonplussed reaction to the speech, captioned, "Everyone listening to Biden's lies right now..."
Everyone listening to Biden’s lies right now… pic.twitter.com/TU4vAq6j3v
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 8, 2023
"President Biden is absolutely right, we must act now to end the gun violence in the country," U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, tweeted during the speech. Noting that she introduced legislation last week to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, she added that she looks forward to working with the Biden administration to "get these weapons of war off our streets."
U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Centennial Democrat, echoed DeGette's sentiment.
"The deadliest mass shootings in the U.S. were carried out using an AR-15 or similar weapon," tweeted Crow. "These weapons of war do not belong on our streets."
"There is no such thing as an assault weapon," Boebert tweeted minutes later, just after declaring, "Joe Biden is desperate to trample on the Second Amendment."
DeGette tweeted her agreement with Biden when he spoke in favor of restoring protection for abortion rights following last summer's U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
"Every woman in this country should have the freedom to access the health care she needs — including abortion care," said DeGette. "I have been fighting for many years to protect women’s access to reproductive care, and it’s a fight I am determined to win."
U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Colorado Springs Republican, slammed what he characterized as Biden's "lame excuses" in a statement.
"The American people did not have to wait for the State of the Union address to learn that our nation, under Joe Biden's lack of leadership, is in peril," Lamborn said. "This is the case both domestically and on the international stage. Inflation is at a 40-year high, the border is a disaster, and seven out of 10 Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction."
Added Lamborn: "It is glaringly obvious that the state of our union is weaker, and American families are suffering because of Joe Biden's out-of-touch, failed liberal policies that have caused historic inflation and have emboldened our adversaries.
"There is a reason Republicans took back the House, and that's because of speeches like tonight where Biden ignored and deflected blame for inflation, rising crime, and a border crisis his administration created."
In a statement, DeGette praised Biden's message.
“Just three months ago, a record number of Americans showed up at the polls to reject the Republican party's extreme agenda," she said. "They want to restore Americans' right to reproductive care, enact commonsense gun safety measures to end the scourge of gun violence that's spreading across the country, and take steps now to combat the climate crisis. As the president said this evening, we have made tremendous progress to strengthen our economy over the past two years, and now is the time for us to build upon that progress even more."
U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who was elected to represent Colorado's new congressional district in November, said she was invigorated after hearing the address.
“I hope after tonight’s speech, my colleagues are ready to get to work on the serious issues facing the American people," the Thornton Democrat said in a statement. "I look forward to working with members from both parties on commonsense solutions to lower costs, secure affordable healthcare for our families, & ensure every child in our community has the opportunity to thrive."
She added: “Too many families in Colorado are struggling with high costs & financial challenges. It’s more urgent than ever that we come together & find solutions to help. I’m committed to doing the work to ensure every person in our community has access to the American Dream.”
Editor's note: This developing story will be updated.
