Less than a week after she delivers her own State of the State address at the State Capitol in Lansing, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver the nation’s Democratic Response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer have announced today that Whitmer will deliver the Democratic Response to President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, while Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas will deliver the Spanish language response to the speech.
Whitmer’s own second State of the State address is slated fro 7pm on Wednesday, January 29th in Lansing.
Nancy Pelosi says, “Since day one, Governor Whitmer has rolled up her sleeves to get things done for the people of Michigan,” and adds, “During her time in public service, she has led the charge to expand health care to hundreds of thousands of people, expand protections for hard-working middle-class families and ensure clean drinking water in our communities. Her decades of hard work on behalf of the people should serve as a model for our nation. She’s a forward-looking leader who is laser-focused on solving problems for everyday Michiganders and is uniquely qualified to deliver Democrats’ message of progress for all Americans.”
Schumer also sings the Governor’s praises, saying, “Governor Whitmer’s dedication to Michiganders is a model for public servants everywhere. Thanks to her tireless efforts, thousands more families across the state have access to quality health care, safer drinking water and the opportunity for a good-paying job,” and concludes, “Whether it’s pledging to ‘Fix the Damn Roads’ or investing in climate solutions, Governor Whitmer’s vision for the future is exactly what this country needs, and I’m thrilled she is giving the Democratic response.”
For her part, Gov. Whitmer says, “Across the country, Democrats are staying focused on building a stronger, more sustainable country for future generations,” and adds, “As leaders, it’s our responsibility to ensure a safe, healthy future for our children and families, and that’s exactly what we’re working toward in Michigan. That means protecting our environment from the harmful effects of climate change, ensuring a great public education that gets our kids on a path to a good job that they can raise a family on, and keeping them healthy by expanding access to quality, affordable health care and protecting those with pre-existing conditions.” Whitmer concludes, “This response is an exciting opportunity to show the American people that not only are Democrats getting things done for them, but also for future generations to come.”
Gov. Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander, lawyer, educator and former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2000 and elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2006 where she served as the Senate Democratic Leader and was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. As Senate Democratic Leader, she led negotiations to expand access to health care for more than 680,000 Michiganders through the state’s Medicaid expansion, which has also added 30,000 jobs per year and $2.3 billion to the economy.
