WASHINGTON —  Lawmakers reacted to President Trump's congressional address on Tuesday night largely along party lines, with Republicans praising his tough talk on defense and Democrats blasting what they call unrealistic and unbalanced promises.

In the hour-long address Tuesday night​, Trump promised to boost funding for the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and to wipe out Islamic State group cells throughout the globe.

The bold proclamations came just one day after White House officials unveiled plans to boost defense spending $54 billion above funding caps for fiscal 2018, a move that will require bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Administration officials have not yet offered any details on what the veterans program funding boost will be.

Here's a look at some of the congressional reaction to Trump's remarks:

Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.

"I'm especially grateful for President Trump's continued commitment to fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs and making sure our veterans get the care and benefits they have earned. I hope the president will join the Senate and House committees in our efforts to enhance veterans' choice, expand access to health care, increase accountability at the department and improve the appeals process so that veterans get timely responses.

"The president's personal interest and leadership in this area will be a vital asset as we work with the new Veterans Affairs secretary, Dr. David Shulkin, to bring about the change our veterans need."

Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed, D-R.I.

"President Trump has a serious credibility problem.  He tries to take credit for jobs he didn't create, and, with respect to the F-35 program, savings that were achieved before he even took office.

"In terms of national security, (his) first month in office has been marred by dysfunction.  He has strained relations with key allies.  He also needs to understand that by retreating from the world stage, he is giving other nations the opportunity to increase their influence."

Senate Armed Services Committee member Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.

"Tonight President Trump also made it very clear that following eight years of defense budget cuts we finally have an administration that understands that our military’s critical need additional funding.

"The time is now to rebuild our depleted forces. Readiness levels across all services are approaching historical lows, and the world situation is as dangerous as I’ve ever seen it...

"Along the same lines, the President reiterated that our veterans deserve the best possible care available as well as all of the benefits they’ve been promised. This includes allowing them the flexibility to choose their healthcare providers, reducing bureaucracy and red tape around veteran healthcare, holding VA employees accountable, and improving timeliness when it comes to decisions on claims. "

House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Dr. ​Phil Roe, RD​-Tenn.

"I’m pleased that President Trump reaffirmed his commitment to honor every man and woman who has worn the uniform of our great nation this evening.

"I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and his administration as we strive to instill a culture of accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and – most importantly – as we continue the fight to ensure every veteran has access to the quality care and benefits they have earned."

House Veterans's Affairs Committee Ranking Member Tim Walz, D-Minn.

"Trump said he would ‘increase funding for our veterans’ while reaffirming our shared commitment to those who have fought for our country; I share these commitments with him and hope that we can work to find common ground on behalf of those who have served and sacrificed.

"However, the devil is in the details, and President Trump’s address failed to convey how he specifically plans to improve the VA and the lives of our nation’s 22 million veterans and their families. Throughout the 2016 Presidential Election, Trump made service to veterans a central pillar of his campaign and now is the time for him to deliver the results he promised."

Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

"What we’ve seen so far about the president’s budget priorities is deeply disturbing.  We see grossly unbalanced priorities, in which the Pentagon would be given tens of billions of dollars, at the cost of programs that help working Americans, and U.S. taxpayers would be asked to pay tens of billions of dollars more for the border wall that candidate Donald Trump had promised would not come out of taxpayers’ wallets.

"There even is an indication that the President will propose slashing the State Department’s budget by more than a third.  As Defense Secretary Mattis said just a few years ago, if the State Department’s budget is cut, ‘then I need to buy more ammunition.’

"As Republicans and Democrats alike have pointed out, such devastating cuts would only weaken our leadership and embolden our adversaries."

Senate Armed Services Committee member Joni Ernst, R-Iowa

"Previously, I pressed the Obama Administration to develop a strategy that addresses the rise of ISIS in places like Southeast Asia as we rightfully strike them in the Middle East. I look forward to the counter ISIS plan from the Trump administration.

"It’s my hope that this new strategy engages our allies, correctly utilizes Special Operations Forces, and includes a global approach that is required to defeat and destroy ISIS in all parts of the world – particularly in Southeast Asia where ISIS is starting to gain a foothold."

House Armed Services Committee member Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

"The only promises Donald Trump has been willing to keep are those that aim to create divisions in our country. He has kept his promises to indiscriminately target immigrant communities for deportation and to desecrate the constitution in order to discriminate against people based on their religion.

"Trump tried selling a bad deal to the American people during his speech to Congress, but it’s not worth buying."

House Veterans' Affairs Committee member Mark Takano, D-Calif. 

"While I was pleased that President Trump pledged to increase funding for veterans, I continue to be disappointed by the lack of detail in his promise to improve veterans' care. The challenges facing veterans can not be solved by funding alone.

"The president needs to focus on more complex issues, like strengthening mental health care, creating programs that transition veterans into good paying jobs, and solving the staffing shortages at VA. In fact, the best thing he could do for veterans right now is to lift the federal hiring freeze so that more veterans have access to the care they need."

 

Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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