WASHINGTON 鈥� Texas Democrats were not thrilled with President Joe Biden using the term 鈥渁n illegal鈥� to describe an undocumented immigrant during his State of the Union address Thursday.
During the speech, Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene heckled Biden to acknowledge Laken Riley, a Georgia student who was allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant, as he was discussing the border. Biden repeated Greene saying Riley was 鈥渒illed by an illegal. That鈥檚 right.鈥�
Democrats were not impressed, even if it was parroting Greene.
鈥淚t's dangerous rhetoric. And I think that the president is getting bad advice from his advisers and speech writers. That kind of rhetoric is what inspired the people who killed Aaron Martinez,鈥� U.S. Rep. said, referring to a North Texas man who was killed by his neighbor who repeatedly harassed Martinez鈥檚 family over their Latino ethnicity. Castro brought Martinez鈥檚 wife, Priscilla Martinez, as his guest Thursday.
鈥淚 just don't get why the president will go down that road,鈥� Castro added. 鈥淚 don't think it's helpful to him or to the Democratic Party.鈥�
U.S. Rep. , an El Paso Democrat who is also a co-chair of Biden鈥檚 reelection campaign, said 鈥渢hat is the statutory language,鈥� though 鈥渋t鈥檚 not the language I use.鈥�
U.S. Rep. , D-Austin, found Greene鈥檚 heckling inappropriate and thought it did not reflect Biden鈥檚 views. He predicted Biden鈥檚 team would clarify his remarks later.
Republicans heckled Biden as he made a case for a bipartisan border security deal introduced in the Senate late last year. The bill, negotiated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Arizona; Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut; and Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma. Republicans turned on the bill after former President Donald Trump denounced it, essentially stopping it in its tracks. House Republicans oppose the bill.
鈥淚n November, my team began serious negotiations with a bipartisan group of senators. The result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security reforms we鈥檝e ever seen in this country,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淚t鈥檇 be a winner for America. My Republican friends, you owe it to the American people to get this bill done.鈥�
The border was one of the most contentious issues discussed during the speech. After the speech, Sen. said Biden鈥檚 comments were 鈥減rofoundly dishonest and out of touch.鈥� U.S. Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Midlothian, said Biden was 鈥済aslighting Republicans鈥� by 鈥渂laming us when he invited the border to be open.鈥�
U.S. Rep. , R-Sherman, tried to give Biden a pin that said 鈥淪TOP THE BIDEN BORDER CRISIS鈥� as he entered the chamber. Biden refused.
Escobar also does not support the Senate border deal, but she praised Biden鈥檚 speech otherwise as demonstrating 鈥渨hy the difference between him and the other guy is so stark,鈥� referring to Trump. Escobar has long been a voice on bipartisan border reform, .
Earlier in his speech, Biden also vowed to overturn Texas鈥� restrictive abortion laws if he gets reelected and Democrats retake control of Congress.
鈥淢y predecessor came to office determined to see Roe v. Wade overturned. He鈥檚 the reason it was overturned. In fact, he brags about it,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淟ook at the chaos that has resulted.鈥�
Biden highlighted the plight of Kate Cox, a Texas woman who filed a lawsuit to end her pregnancy in Texas after her doctor uncovered a lethal birth defect. Cox鈥檚 doctor said terminating the pregnancy was necessary to save her health and future ability to have children but would not carry out the procedure due to the state鈥檚 strict abortion ban.
First Lady Jill Biden invited Cox as her guest to the address Thursday.
Cox鈥檚 lawsuit said the state鈥檚 abortion ban discouraged doctors from risking their medical licenses to perform the procedure. The Supreme Court of Texas blocked a lower state court order that would have allowed her an abortion. She ultimately sought medical care outside the state.
鈥淏ecause Texas law banned abortion, Kate and her husband had to leave the state to get the care she needed. What her family has gone through should never have happened as well. But it is happening to so many others,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淢any of you in this chamber and my predecessor are promising to pass a national ban on reproductive freedom. My God, what freedoms will you take away next?鈥�
Multiple Texas Democrats used the annual address to highlight abortion access. U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, a Houston Democrat who to protect abortion access nationwide, invited Dr. Damla Karsan, an OB/GYN who sought court approval to terminate Cox鈥檚 pregnancy. U.S. Rep. invited Dr. Austin Dennard, an OB/GYN who had to leave Texas to terminate her pregnancy after detecting a lethal birth defect.
U.S. Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-California, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, invited last year Olivia Julianna, a Gen Z activist who has been outspoken about abortion rights in Texas.
The White House has previously used the State of the Union to highlight Texas鈥� restrictions on abortion. At last year鈥檚 address, Jill Biden invited Amanda Zurawski, an Austin woman who nearly died after being denied an abortion for a nonviable pregnancy.
National Democrats are making reproductive rights a key issue in competitive races in Texas, crediting the overturning of national abortion access for staving off a larger Republican majority in the U.S. House. Allred has highlighted Sen. Ted Cruz鈥檚 opposition to legislation expanding access to abortion in his campaign to unseat him.
Jill Biden also invited Jazmin Cazares, a gun violence prevention advocate whose sister Jackie was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, to the speech.
President Biden evoked his visit to Uvalde after the shooting, after which he established a White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. He urged Congress to pass further legislation on gun safety to prevent future shootings.
鈥淲e heard their message, and so everyone in this chamber should do something,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淢eanwhile, my predecessor told the NRA he鈥檚 proud he did nothing on guns when he was president. After another school shooting in Iowa he said we should just 鈥榞et over it.鈥� I say we must stop it.鈥�
This article originally appeared in at .
