NORTH CAROLINA -- From a shout-out for a North Carolina lawmaker to a surprise reunion for a Fort Bragg military family, the Tar Heel State was in the national spotlight at Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
The speech - President Donald Trump’s third - lasted for more than an hour and came amid high tensions in Washington, with the impeachment question still not resolved.
Fort Bragg Military Family Reunion
During his speech, the president recognized Amy Williams and her two children, before offering a big surprise.
Williams’ husband - Sergeant First Class Townsend Williams - was home from his deployment, the president announced. Williams appeared in the House gallery with the other guests, quickly embracing his wife and children.
“He is here with us tonight, and we couldn’t keep him waiting any longer. Welcome home Sgt. Williams. Thank you very much,” President Trump said.
The Williams military family is stationed at Fort Bragg.
Sen. Tillis and Sanctuary Cities
As part of his speech, Mr. Trump railed against so-called “sanctuary cities.”
In doing so, he voiced support for legislation introduced by Sen. Thom Tillis, mentioning North Carolina's junior senator by name. The bill would allow individuals to sue sanctuary jurisdictions.
“I ask Congress to pass the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act immediately,” Mr. Trump said. “The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans -- not criminal aliens.”
RELATED: Tillis Introduces Bill Allowing ‘Sanctuary Cities’ to Be Sued
Tillis is up for re-election later this year, and has embraced Mr. Trump as part of those efforts.
The Economic Message
Mr. Trump’s speech hit on several red meat items for his base, including abortion, 2nd Amendment rights, school prayer, and judicial nominees.
He also touted the economy and recent trade deals, like the USMCA. On that mark, he received praise from North Carolina Republicans, who view it as a key message heading into the 2020 election.
“We’ve seen over the last four years 50,000 North Carolinians be lifted out of poverty. We’ve seen middle class wages rising,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-10th District.
But some Democrats pushed back, arguing not everyone is benefiting in this economic environment.
“A lot of the people I represent are still working two or three jobs, still not making the ends meet,” said Rep. Alma Adams, D-12th District.
Any Path Forward for Cooperation?
Between impeachment and the fast approaching election, Washington is bitterly divided. So, can any legislative common ground be found in the year ahead?
Lawmakers from both parties pointed to something the president mentioned briefly in his address: infrastructure.
“I would start with infrastructure. We have a major infrastructure plan that we’re unveiling and that would mean great investment for our country and more shared prosperity,” said Rep. David Price, D-4th District.
“Democrats and Republicans - we all know its a problem. We ought to be able to find that common ground to find solutions,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, 8th District, who also pointed to prescription drug prices as a potential other avenue for cooperation.
For the past few years, lawmakers have looked to infrastructure as a potential area of agreement, with little to show for it. With tensions still high, the road to cooperation in Washington undoubtedly remains a bumpy one.