State of the Union 2018: Democrats choose Joseph Kennedy III to respond to Donald Trump's speech
The President is expected to roll out his immigration and infrastructure plans during the speech
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Democrats have chosen Congressman Joseph Kennedy III as the person to respond to US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech next week.
Mr Kennedy, from Massachusetts, is the grandson of late Senator Robert F Kennedy and great-nephew of late President John F Kennedy.
He told the Boston Globe: “From healthcare to economic justice to civil rights, the Democratic agenda stands in powerful contrast to President Trump’s broken promises to American families.”
Mr Trump’s speech will be his first in front of the full Congress about the status of his policies since he has taken office and his plan for the coming year.
It is expected that he will unveil his immigration plan and possibly $1.7 trillion infrastructure plan either during the speech or in the days following.
Recently, the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme which allowed those brought to the US illegally as minors to stay, study, and work in the US, was under hot debate as Republicans and Democrats negotiated a deal to reopen the government after a three-day shutdown.
The resolution only keeps the federal government open until 8 February, by which time another deal will have to be hashed out.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Mr Kennedy “is a relentless fighter for working Americans”.
“While President Trump has consistently broken his promises to the middle class, Congressman Kennedy profoundly understands the challenges facing hard-working men and women across the country,” Ms Pelosi said in a statement.
It is customary for the opposition party to respond after the President gives the annual State of the Union.
The response speech made headlines when Senator Marco Rubio awkwardly reached for a water bottle in the middle of his response to former President Barack Obama. He later tweeted a picture of the water bottle to make light of the moment.
Democrats also said the first Hispanic female immigrant to be elected to the Virginia House of Delegates Elizabeth Guzman will be delivering the opposition’s Spanish-language response.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments