Morgan Griffith on Trump's Joint Address to Congress

Editorial note: There are those who've complained that scolding Al Green for his unparliamentary behavior during the speech was somehow racist or ageist...Hello? Ageist? Because he's well preserved and full of energy, or maybe because his wife really is younger than he is and looks younger than she is, herself...some people seem to forget that the President is close to the same age. The position of this web site is that Rep. Green has a right to express his feelings, but he's old enough to know how to do that in a proper parliamentary fashion.

And if any Ds are going to snub Lady Melania because she's not the original Mrs. Trump...I think it's best not to start any traditions of cruelty toward divorcees. Yes, it would be nice if we had more politicians who were good examples of chastity and continence within a fifty-year or longer marriage. It would be nice if women as well preserved as Senator Pelosi or as young and cute as Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez would show us an example of appreciating what Nature has generously given them, and appreciating Melania Trump for what she is, too. Liberation from envy would be a beautiful thing to watch them demonstrate.

And, to Senator Warner: There's no shame in admitting it when one of the opposition does something right! Stand your ground, Sir, and represent your Commonwealth. We are supposed to be more gracious than some people in Washington.

From US Representative Morgan Griffith, R-VA-9:

"

On March 4, I witnessed President Trump deliver his Joint Address to Congress.

This was his first speech at the U.S. Capitol since his inauguration.

In that inaugural speech, Trump proclaimed the Golden Age of America begins right now.

During his Joint Address, he struck a similar tune.

The Golden Age of America consists of numerous Administration policies and goals, some of which are already seeing success.

Trump touted the border security measures his Administration has implemented. In just six weeks, the number of encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border has dramatically plummeted.

According to CBS News, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 8,450 apprehensions in February.

In February of 2024 under Biden, Border Patrol recorded more than 140,000 apprehensions!

Even U.S. Senator Mark Warner went on Fox Business to say that Trump made great progress to secure the border (though he would backtrack on MSNBC).

Trump rightly proved that all we needed to secure the border was a new president.

A new president is also needed to reverse the inflationary policies of the Biden Administration.

As grocery prices, fuel costs and the cost of living skyrocketed, it was clear that Biden policies, including the “green new deal”, contributed to the economic pain in our homes and communities.

Such policies included halting the approval of new liquified natural gas licenses and even killing the Keystone XL Pipeline.

On Day One, Trump declared a national energy emergency to undo the damage done by Biden’s green new deal policies.

The impacts of these Trump energy policies will not be felt right away. In fact, it may take over a year for us to see the results. But Trump’s energy policy is aimed at restoring our economy and putting more money into your pocketbook.

Another major Trump talking point was rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs.

Look no further than the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The federal agency has been caught red-handed in funneling millions of dollars all over the world for leftist pet projects.

Some projects include:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) scholarships in Burma

(Even though the U.S. State Department continues to officially recognize the country as Burma, the country calls itself Myanmar, and according to the State Department’s website, the USAID mission in Burma closed in 1989. It’s a totalitarian regime that has little regard for its minority population. Having traveled there, I doubt any Christian Karen minority or Rohingya Muslim minority members ever saw a penny of this money.)

• Journalism efforts promoting non-binary language in Sri Lanka
• Male circumcision in Mozambique
• Election initiatives in India, Moldova and Liberia
• And the list goes on and on

While most American taxpayers do not mind helping starving children and communities, they did not consent their funds to be used for such outrageous programs.

Trump rightly discussed some of those programs in his Joint Address to Congress.

As I sat in the House chamber during Trump’s Address, I was surprised by the reaction of my Democratic colleagues.

To start the night, Texas Representative Al Green disrupted the beginning of Trump’s remarks by standing up and yelling at Trump.

Speaker Johnson repeatedly asked Representative Green to respect the decorum of the House. When it was clear Green wouldn’t relent, the Speaker instructed the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Green from the floor.

I voted days later to censure Green for his intentional staged misconduct. Some of his Democratic colleagues joined Republicans in the censure vote.

Democratic disrespect did not end there.

When First Lady Melania Trump was recognized, I saw nobody from the Democratic side stand up and applaud.

It is a fairly standard practice for both parties to express respect to the first lady, regardless of political affiliation.

Other individuals who received a cold shoulder from Democrats were an American hostage returned home from Russia and a child survivor of brain cancer.

Additionally, the widow of a New York police officer killed by an illegal alien, the family of Laken Riley, and the mother of a 12-year-old girl killed by two illegal aliens did not receive much of a welcome reception either from Democrats.

The deaths of these individuals are all heartbreaking, and for Democrats to dismiss their tragic experiences is disappointing to see.

While I may vehemently disagree with Democratic tactics and policies, I will continue to celebrate policies that bring good to the American people and contribute to America’s Golden Age.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to contact my office.  You can call my Abingdon office at 276-525-1405 or my Christiansburg office at 540-381-5671. To reach my office via email, please visit my website at morgangriffith.house.gov.

"