ICYMI: Watch Stacey Abrams Push Back On Trump’s State of the Union Address

By Akiba Solomon Feb 06, 2019

If you’re anything like us, you were too busy tweeting and texting to fully behold Stacey Abrams’ historic rebuttal to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address last night (February 5).  

Abrams, the Georgia state representative and House Minority Leader who lost her bid for governor amid reports of voter suppression, is the first Black woman to make this address. In a merciful 10 minutes minutes and 44 seconds, the Democrat tackled a range of issues, including:

The government shutdown: "Making the livelihoods of our federal workers a pawn for political games is a disgrace. The shutdown was a stunt engineered by the President of the United States."

School shootings and student loans: "This White House responds timidly as first graders practice active shooter drills and the price of higher education grows ever steeper. From now on, our leaders must be willing to tackle gun safety measures and face the crippling effect of education loans."

The middle class: In Georgia and around the country people are striving for a middle class where a salary truly equals economic security. But instead, families’ hopes are being crushed by Republican leadership that ignores real life or just doesn’t understand it."

The Republican tax bill: "Under the current administration far too many hardworking Americans are falling behind, living paycheck to paycheck most without labor unions to protect them from even worse harm. The Republican tax bill rigged the system against working people. Rather than bringing back jobs, plants are closing." 

Immigration: "We know bipartisanship could craft a 21st Century immigration plan. But this administration chooses to cage children and tear families apart."

Maternal deaths: "Maternal mortality rates show that mothers, especially Black mothers, risk death to give birth."

Voter suppression: "Let’s be clear. Voter suppression is real—from making it harder to register and stay on the rolls, to moving and closing polling places, to rejecting lawful ballots."

Check out the whole thing—including a shout to people celebrating the Lunar New Year—below.