Ohio lawmakers divided on party lines on Trump speech

COLUMBUS – Reactions among Ohio lawmakers to President Donald Trump’s third State of the Union broke down along party lines, as they did in the rest of Congress.

In an atmosphere of icy partisan hostility, President Donald Trump stood before a Congress and a nation sharply divided by impeachment and used his address to extol a “Great American Comeback” on his watch.

Leaning hard on the strong U.S. economy, Trump used his State of the Union address to make a campaign-style case for another four-year term.

Republicans, including Sen. Rob Portman, hailed the president’s policies, such as tax reform, regulatory relief and trade agreements with Canada, Mexico and China, for maintaining economic prosperity.

“We’ve given the American economy a real shot in the arm,” Portman said. “We have more work to do, and I was pleased to hear the president talk about the need for more skills training and career and technical education…I was also pleased to hear the president talk about the need to rebuild our crumbling roads and bridges through a new infrastructure bill.”

“The president’s address shined a light on policies that are in line with Ohio’s priorities: more job opportunities, workforce development to fill those roles, a booming economy, and a robust infrastructure package that will improve the way we move around each day,” Congressman Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville) said.

Less enthused were Democrats like Cong. Joyce Beatty of Columbus, who said Trump “pandered” and called the speech “deeply partisan.”

“President Trump’s State of the Union Address was condescending, full of exaggerations and plenty of rhetoric,” Beatty said in a statement. “His healthcare promises come at a time when he and Republicans are fighting in court right now to strip protections for pre-existing conditions; and it was President Obama who set in motion our economic recovery and current growth.”

Delivering the Democratic response to the address, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says Democrats are working on issues that concern most America, such as health care

The speech came at an extraordinary moment on the eve of a Wednesday afternoon vote in the Senate which was expected to bring a likely acquittal for Trump and an end to only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history.

The tension in the House chamber was clear, including an exchange with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi when Trump refused to shake the California Democrat’s hand and she tore up her copy of his speech on camera.