WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tonight, before Congress and the American people, President Joe Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address. Like Biden’s recent poll numbers, the state of the union is abysmal. America’s schoolchildren and their families lack education opportunity and success, independent contractors are on the brink of losing their freedom and flexibility, Title IX is being destroyed and girls’ and women’s safety and privacy is being threatened, the international picture is grim, and energy prices are increasingly unaffordable.
In tonight’s address, Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) urges President Biden to abandon policies that are harming Americans and champion solutions that will unleash opportunities and brighten futures.
Virginia Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center (EFC) at IWF and a former senior political appointee in the U.S. Department of Education, issued the following statement:
“Due to years of instruction disrupted by cruel COVID-era policies and undermined by divisive ideologies, K-12 education in the United States is in crisis. Right now, students, parents, and teachers are faced with alarming learning loss and pervasive discipline and mental health issues. Parents are viewed as the enemy and powerful teachers’ unions and education bureaucracies reject transparency and accountability while demanding more funding. President Biden has an opportunity to put students over systems, and develop policies that allow a wide variety of education options to flourish.”
Patrice Onwuka, director of the Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) at IWF added:
“President Biden needs to tell the American people, ‘Despite the economic news, your financial position is not getting better. We know you feel hardship every time you go to the supermarket and pay $4.00 or more for a carton of eggs. When a bag of chips that was $3 dollars last Superbowl is now over $5.00.’ Instead of touting the excessive government spending under his watch that spiked inflation, Americans deserve to hear a solid plan for how to get the government out of the economy’s way.”
Afghanistan veteran and IWF Senior Fellow Meaghan Mobbs said:
“The president needs a rescue plan that prioritizes America, her interests, and his fellow Americans. Biden’s overly cautious foreign policy and risk-aversion does not serve the American people. His desire to minimize negative consequences instead of staunchly pursuing positive outcomes for America and her interests places the nation on a dangerous trajectory and projects weakness to our enemies. All of whom have taken notice.”
Former Chief of Staff at the Environmental Protection Agency and IWF Senior Policy Analyst Mandy Gunasekara added:
“President Biden’s record on American energy is abysmal. His policies have led to record high prices and strained supply chains while empowering foreign adversaries like Russia and China. He continues to prioritize the wants of politically connected activists pushing bad ideas that will do little for the environment over addressing the needs of the American people.”