Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Tim Kennedy (NY-26) issued the following statement following President Trump’s State of the Union Address last night: 

“Last night, President Trump attempted to convince the American people that his disastrous year of corruption, cruelty, and skyrocketing costs has been a success. But my guest, WNY Area Labor Federation President Denise Abbott, and I know firsthand that the reality is very different for the families we represent.

“Under Trump and Congressional Republicans’ failed leadership, Americans are paying more for groceries, utilities, housing, and healthcare. Their Big Ugly Law made the largest healthcare cuts in American history, destabilizing hospitals, threatening nursing homes, and putting millions at risk of losing coverage. Trump’s tariffs have been so erratic and unlawful that even his hand-picked Supreme Court struck them down, yet he insists on pushing policies that raise prices and hurt blue-collar border communities like Western New York. And while working families struggle to make ends meet, Republicans rubber-stamped a $75 billion check to President Trump, Secretary Noem, and ICE to terrorize our communities and murder American citizens in the street. 

“Trump promised to put America first. But since January 20, 2025, he has used the power of this office to undermine democracy, create terror in our communities, destroy social safety nets, and reward himself and his billionaire buddies while we pay the price. Today, families are working harder and falling further behind. That’s the real state of the union. The American people deserve leadership that actually fights for them and their values.”

Background
Kennedy was joined by Denise Abbott, President of the Western New York Area Labor Federation and a longtime emergency room nurse at DeGraff Memorial Hospital. Abbott has spent more than 20 years caring for families on the front lines of our healthcare system and advocating for workers across the region as a leader in Communications Workers of America Local 1168. She represents the nurses, tradespeople, and union workers who keep Western New York running, and who are too often the first to feel the impact of cruel policy decisions made in Washington.

Under Trump and Congressional Republicans, thanks to illegal tariffs and the Big Ugly Law, families in Western New York are paying nearly $2000 more per year for basic living expenses. The average cost for one month of groceries in our region now tops $1,100. Utility costs are rising, housing costs are climbing, and more than a trillion dollars in healthcare cuts threaten hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics across our region. From Niagara Falls to Lackawanna, working families are being squeezed, and Congressman Kennedy will continue fighting for an agenda that puts working families ahead of Trump’s billionaire donors.

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