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Amata Reacts to President Trump’s State of the Union Speech

January 31, 2018

Washington, D.C. – Wednesday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed the priorities President Trump outlined in his first State of the Union speech, particularly highlighting infrastructure development and bipartisan cooperation on shared preferences where a consensus can be reached, such as veterans and military funding.

"I welcome the President's objectives for infrastructure development and investment, and I also appreciate his support for VA improvements throughout the first year of his administration," said Aumua Amata. "I agree with the desire to see progress toward bipartisan cooperation on those priorities that many in Congress share, and I appreciate that President Trump made that a theme of his speech."

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Amata and President Trump at SOTU

Congresswoman Amata and President Trump immediately following the State of the Union speech just after she greeted him in the chamber of the House of Representatives. (Photo from NBC broadcast)

Historically, the State of the Union is based on a Constitutional directive that the President will periodically report to the Congress about the condition of the country, and provide presidential recommendations. The first two Presidents, George Washington and John Adams, gave speeches. For decades, following Presidents then submitted a written Annual Message, then in 1913, Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of speaking in person to the Congress – the tradition of the century since. Read more about the remarkable history of the State of the Union here.

Read more here about this year's State of the Union and President Trump's guests, including military, law enforcement and fire prevention personnel, along with small business success stories. Read about Speaker Ryan's guests here.

"Right now, there's a lot of positive news in the U.S. economy and markets, and I hope to see that momentum and growth lead to good things for the territories," continued Congresswoman Amata. "I appreciate the President's commitment to keeping the country safe, strong and prosperous, and I look forward to seeing progress on these initiatives in the year ahead."

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