Delaware’s Congressional delegation is giving President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address high marks.
Congressman John Carney called the President’s speech “strong” and “different,” as he chose to talk about more about larger issue and themes rather than specific initiatives.
Obama finished with a call for a higher level of political discourse and bipartisanship – a call Carney says was well received in the room.
“It wasn’t a part of the speech where Democrats were getting up and cheering and Republicans were sitting in their seats or vice versa," Carney told Delaware Public Media. "It was part of the speech where all of the members were sitting listening intently and I think in part he was talking to the American people, encouraging them to participate, and vote, and have their voices heard.”
Delaware's senior senator, Tom Carper, felt Obama left the best for last with that push for reforming the nation's politics Carper especially appreciated Obama's call for an end to gerrymandering of House districts to protect incumbents on both sides of the aisle.
“I thought the President said we need to have a different way and some states are experimenting with this and are more likely to make sure Congressional districts are designed in a way that makes sense and pass the common sense test," said Carper. "And they're more likely to elect Democrats and Republicans who are able to communicate, collaborate and get things done.”
Delaware's junior senator, Chris Coons, believes there are places the partisan gap could be bridged gap this year. He thinks Congress and the President can tackle economic and security challenges, reform the criminal justice system, and increase resources for public safety:
"Whether it's in the city of Dover, city of Wilmington, whether it's tackling the heroin epidemic that's affecting not just Delaware but communities all over the country -- the President challenged us to work together in a responsible, bipartisan way to make our country safer," said Coons. "That's an area where I'm optimistic we can make real progress this year."
Coons added he would have liked to hear more from Obama on holding Iran to its nuclear deal, but joined Carper and Carney in praising said Obama's move to back Vice President Joe Biden's "moonshot" to end cancer -- with a new national effort to cure cancer once and for all.
Biden called for that "moonshot" after losing his son - former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden – to brain cancer last spring. Obama said last night he was putting Biden in charge of "mission control" for this new effort.
"The Vice President wants to cure cancer. Not by himself. He's not a researcher. But he'll use his position, his ability to raise money and to rally public support for this," said Carper. " I thought it was a great tribute to the Biden family, to Joe, and to the memory of Beau Biden."
Carney says the commitment to cure cancer meant a lot to his guest for the State of the Union -- Caesar Rodney school district teacher Samantha Gustafson – who has become a strong cancer prevention and detection advocate since losing her 28-year-old husband to melanoma in 2013.
