RESOURCES:
NPR: Abigail Spanberger frames Democrat's midterm message in State of the Union response
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and I'm David Fair. And I have a question for you. Did you stay up to watch the State of the Union address and the Democratic response last night? President Donald Trump made a strong appeal to the Republican base in an effort to solidify loyalty heading into the midterm elections. Virginia governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic response with an eye towards making gains that Democrats have seen in late 2025 and early 2026 elections. Now, attendance in the joint chamber last night was a little light as a good number of Democrats chose not to appear--about half, in fact. Debbie Dingell is a Democrat from Ann Arbor representing the 6th Congressional District and is making time to join us on WEMU today. And, Representative Dingell, where did you choose to be last night?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: David, good morning! I hope you were doing well. I had debated back and forth for more than two weeks about what I was going to do. And about midday, I decided I did not want to be part of the theater. Last time, I did this "sit down, stand up, fight, fight fight" when I was in college at athletic games, and I didn't want to be part of the theater. Though, I think it was very important to listen to every word of the speech and that I did. I just didn't do it in the chamber with theater.
David Fair: Do you have any fear that with so many Democrats choosing not to participate last night--in person, anyway--that it may send the wrong message?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: I don't think it's going to send the wrong message. And just for the record, over the years, there have been members on both sides that have chosen not to attend. But the last two State of the Unions have been very complicated, and it becomes theater in and of itself, of when you do stand. Last year, I was unhappy when Democrats were asked not to stand for anything when there are heroes. And I don't think the Olympic hockey team belongs to Republicans. It belongs to Americans. And that was the moment that I'm very grateful. I said to everybody before I left, when the hockey team comes, make sure everybody stands. And that was a wonderful moment. You know, we have Michigan players on both of the men's hockey team and the women's hockey team. And they were great veterans who had served her country that needed to be honored. But really, it was more political theater for last night than talking about real solutions for the challenges that people in this country are suffering from. So, I wanted to what he had to say. I wanted to respect what he wanted to say. But my reaction is the American people are struggling with rising costs, which I don't think he really understands. They're worried about the instability abroad. There's a growing crisis in the trust of our democracy. And I think they deserve substance, and they deserve the answers. And I think leadership period is about responsibility, not showmanship and radiance. So, I'm going to be that honest. I think handing out awards and orchestrating applause lines doesn't lower grocery bills for people, it doesn't protect social security or Medicare, secure elections or strengthen our alliances. So, that's my gut reaction.
David Fair: I do think the President made gains in appealing to the Republican base and perhaps some independent voters, and he may have created more party unity as we head toward the midterm elections. From your perspective, did the content of the address also bring more unity to the Democratic party as it seeks to win both chambers of the Legislature?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: What I think, last night, the State of the Union is not supposed to be a campaign rally. I think the President tried to make it a campaign rally.
David Fair: Regardless of party. All presidents do that.
Rep. Debbie Dingell: Not quite the way that he did it, David. He does do it. Look, it reminds you of The Apprentice in some ways.
David Fair: It was well-produced, that's for sure.
Rep. Debbie Dingell: It was well-produced. But I do think that we've got it talk to the American people about where we stand and where we're headed, and that performance doesn't substitute for policy. So, there are issues I want to work with Republicans on and I'm going to continue to work with them on. He touched his tariffs. He's continuing to put tariffs on people. That's a tax on people. I want a lower cost. I want to work with my Republican friends on how we're going to lower costs for American people who are hurting every day. His billionaire friends are getting their tax cuts. Working men and women are hurting. What are we going to do to make their lives more affordable?
David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and we're talking with Congresswoman Debbie Dingell about last night's State of the Union address. You mentioned costs. Health care is literally forcing a good number of people to try and live without. President Trump is calling for an entirely different health care system, and to use the website TrumpRx for low-cost prescription medication, Democrats are still looking for an extension of the Affordable Care Act, and it seems to be stuck in the quagmire. Will we see any movement one way or the other before the midterms?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: Well, first of all, David, I'm going to tell you something. Rx White House--I'm going to post this on my website--is not saving people money on drugs. I agree with the President that we should not be paying any more for medicine in this country than countries that are part of the MFN Treaty, Most Favored Nation Treaty, do. I offered that as an amendment when we were doing that Big Blank Bill. And every single Republican voted against it. But if you go to the Rx, and I have the facts, we are not saving money on that. They're actually generic drugs that are less expensive. They're coupons that they can use. And I'm going to keep working with Buddy Carter, a Republican from Georgia, on addressing issues of lowering costs, things like pharmacy benefit managers, which way shoot up the cost. And we've got to work to make sure that every American has got access to healthcare. We need to have to sit down in a room and really figure it out because more Americans don't have health care right now than they did a year ago, and that is frightening. There are people that are going to go without getting help until they are really sick, and they end up in the emergency room even sicker. And our emergency rooms are a mess.
David Fair: The President last night, in talking about the broader economy, said inflation is down, interest rates are down, employment is up, violent crime is down and the stock market and value of people's 401K's are up and, in his words, the economy is roaring. And he says that what little affordability issues remain are being worked out and are the fault of Democrats. Your response is?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: One, the United States lost 180 manufacturing jobs in 2025, that, fact two, is 7 in 10 Americans in a recent Fox News poll said the economy is in bad shape. You know, inflation is not down. Grocery prices were up 3.1% overall. Beef's up 15%, coffee 18.3%, orange juice 28%. The President said eggs were down, but they're not. They're up 30%. Condiments are up 10.2%. Costs are going up, not down. And you need to get out of the bubble of Washington D.C. Come to Kroger with me on Sunday mornings. I keep inviting everybody. Come to Kroger with me. I see it. I buy on Sundays, and people come and talk to me on Sundays.
David Fair: A big issue around here and throughout the state of Michigan and around the country as a matter of fact is AI and data centers. The President called for passage of the Ratepayer Protection Plan, which would allow for AI developers to build their own power supplies, so that energy ratepayers are held harmless. Now. As I was listening. A whole bunch of questions came to mind. And how did it hit you?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: I have a lot of questions, but there is something I agree with in there, and I've said this because. David, you and I have too many data centers in our area, and people need to have a right to have a say about what's going in their backyard, and they need to be protected from increases. They should not bear the cost of utility rates for them. They need be protected on residential rate usage, and we need to be protecting their water too. The devil's in the details. What is he really talking about? So, I'm certainly opening to looking at what he is talking about. We've got to protect our community.
David Fair: In her Democratic response, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, like you, urges voters to just take a look at the monthly bills and consider the personal cost of the President's tariffs. Now, regardless of which party has to deliver it, the response is a bit of a thankless task. Obviously, she is a member of your party, so there is a like-mindedness built in. But do you think that Governor Spanburger hit the right notes?
Rep. Debbie Dingell: I think she tried to. I think she was much less theatrical. She went to one of the places of our Founding Fathers. And I think we have to...we see with our own eyes what our bills are doing. The President said that he was going to lower utility costs by 50% in the first year. Well, I'm getting my utility bills and so are a lot of other people, and we've had a very cold winter. I don't think anybody's utility bills are down. I think they're significantly up. And why aren't we using renewable resources? Wind and solar are cheaper than oil and gas. Why shouldn't we have all as options?
David Fair: Well, we still have a lot to talk about. We didn't touch on the Homeland Security budget. We didn't talk about ICE. So, we will have to have more conversations as we move further along into the year. But thank you so much for making time today to join us and offer your take on last night's State of the Union address.
Rep. Debbie Dingell: Thank you, David! And be safe!
David Fair: That is Representative Debbie Dingell. She is an Ann Arbor Democrat representing the 6th Congressional District, offering her thoughts on the State of the Union, the Democratic response, and the lead-up to the midterm elections. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU Ypsilanti.
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