Local Lawmakers React To President Trump's State Of The Union Address

WASHINGTON D.C. (KDKA) -- President Trump addressed members of Congress on Tuesday night in the annual State of the Union Address.

The speech was titled "Great American Comeback" highlighted some of President Trump's achievements such as the economy.

However, a partisan divide was on full display during and after the speech.

A couple of local congressmen spoke with reporters about their takeaways from the address.

"I think the talk about oil and gas and the fact that we're now the world's largest oil and gas producer is huge," said Rep. Guy Reschenthaler. "That means jobs for people in southwestern Pennsylvania."

A portion of the speech was dedicated to healthcare and that was a point of emphasis for Rep. Mike Kelly.

"I still have a great concern about opioids and the number of deaths from drug overdoses," he said. "The price of prescription drugs, I've got a real concern with insulin. I'm trying to make sure we develop a generic substitute for insulin so that we drive the price way down."

President Trump mentioned a drop in prescription drug prices during his speech. They fell one percent in 2018, according to U.S. Health and Human Services.

That is the first such decline in 45 years and it was driven due in part to generic drugs.

Senator Bob Casey focused on economics.

"For three years, President Trump and Congressional Republicans have pursued a corporate agenda that gives obscene tax cuts to the super-rich, rips health care away from millions and shortchanges our children," he said in a statement. "I heard nothing in last night's speech that leads me to believe the year ahead will be any different."