For President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, members of Congress filed into the U.S. House chamber, many wearing blue and yellow ribbons in support of Ukraine. Tuesday’s speech comes amid the highest inflation in 40 years, Russia’s violent invasion of Ukraine, and just 31% of Americans satisfied with the direction of the nation.

Biden’s energy seemed to wane over the one-hour speech, and overall responses say it was lackluster, without solid plans to get control of rising prices. Biden’s speech prompted a range of responses from the N.C. congressional delegation.

North Carolina’s junior U.S. senator, Republican Thom Tillis, issued a video statement.

“President Biden seems to think America is better off than it was a year ago. But that’s not how the vast majority of Americans see the consequences of his failed policies,” wrote Tillis.

Democrat Congressman G.K. Butterfield (NC-1) called Biden’s message “powerful.”

Democrat Deborah Ross (NC-2):

“Here at home, President Biden has been leading an unprecedented recovery, achieving the fastest job growth in American history and the most rapid economic growth in nearly four decades. In Congress, I fought hard to pass historic legislation – including the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – to help North Carolina recover and rebuild. But there is still so much work left to be done to make sure the recovery reaches all our people.

“Tonight, the President presented a bold plan to combat rising prices. By promoting fair competition, bringing manufacturing back to our shores, and addressing our supply chain challenges, we can lower everyday costs for the American middle class.

Republican Greg Murphy  (NC-3):

“Biden again falsely claims that his #BuildBackBroke agenda won’t raise taxes.

“@TaxPolicyCenter report shows that Biden’s tax plan will raise taxes on 75% of families in one year, and 95% in 10 years. Another @WhiteHouse lie.”

Democrat Rep. David Price (NC-4):

“Tonight, President Biden led with a message of optimism and renewed hope,” Price said. “He understands the hardships facing the American people but knows we can harness our collective resolve to build a better future.

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-5):

“President Biden’s State of the Union address tonight confirms that damning fact, and the American people by and large reject his degenerate agenda. Scores of Americans are wondering what has happened to our great country.

“From a collapsing southern border to record inflation that has now reached a 40-year high, rising crime rates to collapsing credibility within the international community, no matter where you turn, the consequences of President Biden’s failures are more visible than ever. “

Republican Rep. David Rouzer  (NC-7):

“President Biden’s real State of the Union: – 40-year high in inflation – War on American energy production – Border catastrophe – Surging crime.”

Rouzer also spoke to Spectrum News.

Republican Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-8):

‘The state of our union is strong, but the state of our leadership is weak,” said Hudson. “President Biden’s first year has been a failure of leadership, and his policies have led to numerous crises.”

“Inflation is at a 40-year high; gas prices are at a 7-year high; American energy independence has been erased as we send $75 million to Vladimir Putin every day to buy Russian oil; more than 2 million illegal immigrants have crossed our open southern border; crime has reached record levels; and Russia is invading Ukraine following Biden’s weakness in responding to the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, and greenlighting the Nord Stream II pipeline. By every measure this President has failed.”

Republican Rep. Dan Bishop (NC-9):

“After 1 year of Biden: Nothing is built. Nothing is back. Nothing is better.”

Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10):

“Democrats want the American people to believe that things are back to normal and are heading in the right direction. However, all it takes is for an American to fill up their gas tank or head to the grocery store to know this is not the case. We need real solutions. Instead we got political theater and another laundry list of progressive policies that will only make our problems worse.”

Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn (NC-11):

“The state of the union is WEAK.”

Democrat Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12):

“President Biden is right – we have to address the maternal health crisis.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered the Republican rebuttal. Reynolds is known for her leadership on the COVID pandemic, issuing few restrictions and reopening businesses and other public spaces in June 2020. Currently, Iowa has among the lowest COVID hospitalization rates in the country.

“We’re now one year into his presidency, and instead of moving America forward, it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time — to the late 70s and early 80s,” she said to the nation following the speech. “When runaway inflation was hammering families, a violent crime wave was crashing on our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map. Even before taking the oath of office, the president told us that he wanted to ‘make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home.’ He’s failed on both fronts.”

There was a second official rebuttal, this time from a member of Biden’s own party.  Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, delivered a critique of Biden’s speech and policies saying that he was not progressive enough. A member of the so-called “Squad,” Tlaib called for a further move to the left, with a mandatory $15 hourly minimum wage and expansion of entitlement programs.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, said Tlaib’s comments were “like keying your own car and slashing your own tires.”