WASHINGTON – North Dakota’s U.S. senators issued statements in response to President Biden’s State of the Union message Tuesday night.

“I don’t know what the president set out to do tonight, but if it was to unify the country, he failed miserably. There was very little unifying language. His perception of unity is ‘we all think like him’ as opposed to finding common ground, meeting in the middle, compromising on things,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, said.

“American families are continuing to pay more due to high inflation and supply chain issues,” Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, said. “The crisis at our southern border is growing with record numbers of illegal crossings. Our adversaries, like Russia and China, are becoming more aggressive. President Biden is taking our country in the wrong direction with his big government policies.

“Instead of the Biden administration’s failed approach,” he added, “we need to focus on the fundamentals and empower the American people. We can do that by controlling spending and cutting burdensome regulations to grow our economy. We need to take the handcuffs off our domestic energy producers to empower energy production here at home and lower costs for American families. We need to secure our border and enforce our laws. With security challenges around the globe, it is vital that we continue to invest in our military and support our men and women in uniform. These are the priorities we’re focused on to make our nation more secure and to improve the lives of the American people.”

Cramer took issue with Biden’s statement about phasing out petroleum use in a decade.

“Really? You think oil companies should invest billions in infrastructure you say we’ll only need for ten more years?” he said.

He also questioned Biden’s stance on the economy and inflation.

“Have you ever talked to an American outside of your own Administration? You cannot tell people you’ve got inflation coming down when they’re paying more,” he said. “He talks about fentanyl like ‘we need to do more about it’ – well, no kidding we need to do more about it. Build the wall. Secure the border.”

Cramer said he found agreement on Biden’s expressed commitment to modernize and strengthen the military and help veterans find jobs and housing and transition into civilian life, including getting help in the mental health field.”

Gov. Doug Burgum released the following statement regarding the State of the Union address: “We agree with the president’s desire for unity across the country and support for the middle class. This needs to be shown through action and not just words. President Biden’s attempt to frame the first two years of his administration as progress falls flat under the weight of the glaring issues that received too little attention in his State of the Union address – namely his misguided policies that have weakened U.S. energy security and economic security with near-record inflation and the illegal immigration that continues to run rampant at the southern border.

“While we appreciate the president’s focus on the need to invest in our nation’s infrastructure and better address behavioral health and the scourge of fentanyl deaths, and agree with him on the resiliency of the American people, the fact is our nation and its citizens can’t reach their full potential until this administration recognizes that the real path to progress is innovation, not regulation, and that our national security is stronger when we sell energy to our friends and allies versus buy it from our adversaries. By taking the handcuffs off our farmers and ranchers, entrepreneurs and energy producers, we can re-establish America’s dominance in feeding and fueling the world.”