For Immediate Release:
February 7, 2023
Contact: Kirstin Snow, Communications Director, Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center snow@pennbpc.org
Statement in Response to the 2023 State of the Union Address
President Biden Outlines Historic Accomplishments and Identifies Goals for the Future
Harrisburg, PA — Following President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech this evening, Marc Stier, director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, released the following statement:
“President Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress tonight served as a helpful review of the historic accomplishments that were made during his first two years in the White House and outlined his goals and priorities for 2023 and beyond. The president highlighted the tremendous investments that are being delivered through the bipartisan infrastructure law, making long overdue upgrades to roads, bridges, railroads, and public transit; safeguarding our drinking water; guaranteeing affordable and reliable high-speed internet in every community; and repairing the damage to land and water from mining and drilling. President Biden’s infrastructure law is bringing $17.8 billion to projects in Pennsylvania — more than $1,400 per resident of the state — creating jobs and improving communities across the Commonwealth. The president also noted the Inflation Reduction Act enacted last year, which is the most significant legislation in U.S. history to address the climate crisis and strengthen American energy security, lowering energy costs for households and businesses, creating manufacturing jobs for American workers, and delivering a clean, secure, and healthy future for our children and grandchildren.
“We were also pleased to hear President Biden renew his call for Congress to pass a Billionaire Minimum Income Tax to end the scandal of billionaires and other ultra-rich individuals paying a lower tax rate than teachers, nurses and firefighters — and sometimes paying nothing at all. Billionaires have become $1.2 trillion, or 40%, richer over the past five years since the Trump-GOP tax cuts were enacted thanks to a big tax loophole that allows many of them to pay little, if any, federal income taxes on those investment gains. The Billionaire Minimum Income Tax — which was cosponsored in the previous Congress by Pennsylvania representatives Brendan Boyle, Madeleine Dean, Dwight Evans, Mary Gay Scanlon, and Susan Wild — would ensure that the ultra-rich pay something closer to their fair share.
“We commend President Biden for his commitment to continue improving the state of our union and delivering the long-overdue public investments that will allow hardworking Pennsylvanians to thrive.”
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