After listening to President Trump’s first speech to Congress, AFSCME members from across the country said his proposals lacked detail and that he was unclear about how he plans to deliver on the many promises he’s made to working families.
Here are some of their reactions:
Elly McNelisElly McNelis, crossing guard
Local 1598 (District Council 88)
Bensalem, Pennsylvania
“It was a lot of words. Health care is wonderful, infrastructure is wonderful, but how are you paying for it? I want to see now what is the action behind those words. How is he going to pay for the increase in military spending? He has shown no leadership qualities, so now he’s going to have to start doing that. He has to walk the walk. The speech could have been about 20 minutes; it wasn’t very substantive. Now that he’s done the talking, let’s put some of this into action. We as union members and working people have to hold his feet to the fire.”
David DiazDavid Diaz, sanitation worker
Local 3292 (AFSCME Florida)
Miami
“I found many of the things he said confusing. I thought he left out a lot of things. He said he wants to spend billions more on the military but he won’t say where he’s going to get the money for that. He calls for clean air and water in the United States but then says he wants to deregulate companies. And he even says that for every new regulation, we’re going to have to take off two old ones. He wants to bring jobs back into the country but he doesn’t explain what he’s going to do to get corporations to bring those jobs back. You could hear the laughter in the background when he talked about providing health insurance for every citizen because he doesn’t explain how he’s going to do it. And then he talks about the need to stop bickering and slandering each other. Excuse me, that was your whole campaign! That’s how you got to be president.”
Tom ConnellyTom Connelly, critical care radiology nurse
Local 2026 (Ohio Council 8)
Warren, Ohio
“The devil is in the details – that’s where the devil hides out. Trump said people with pre-existing conditions who are currently insured would not lose their insurance, but he made no mention of people not presently insured, or people, like me – if I were to lose my job or go somewhere else with a difference insurance company – I’m not sure how that would work. Most people approve of Obamacare. You can see it throughout the country where people are flooding their town hall meetings worried they’re going to lose their healthcare. It’s important it doesn’t just get thrown out in lieu of another plan that may not meet the needs that are being currently met.”
Gretchen LoweGretchen Lowe, executive board member
AFSCME Retirees Wisconsin Subchapter 52
“He talks of wanting to restart the engine of the American economy, his vision of providing jobs, and making it hard for companies to leave our country, but some of his ties and shirts are made in other countries. He didn’t say, ‘I will bring all my companies back to the United States’ in a gesture to show other companies what they should do. He took credit for several companies’ decisions to increase jobs in America that occurred before he became president, yet he made no mention of unions, no mention of fairness for workers or the impact of automation on jobs. I thought his speech was detached, and his accomplishments are not going to help working people. They’re helping corporations get richer.”