RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – North Carolina lawmakers are making their responses known after President Biden delivered the State of the Union Address Tuesday night.

One main theme the President focused on in the State of the Union address was unity and working together and while he said progress has been made, he highlighted that there is still work to be done.

Below are the statements CBS 17 has received from multiple North Carolina lawmakers, ranging from full support to claims of economic failure.

In response, Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) said:

“I had hoped to hear more from President Biden about his plans to address the real problems that are making life harder for Western North Carolinians.

“Crime is rising in cities across America – including Asheville – and fentanyl is flowing into our mountain communities thanks to this administration’s open-border policies. I have heard firsthand from law enforcement officers from Clay to McDowell counties and from district attorneys throughout WNC that this is the top problem they are facing.

“We have a looming debt and deficit crisis with serious implications for our national security and fiscal sovereignty. Inflation is hurting Western North Carolinians from the grocery store to the gas pump. Yet the Biden White House continues its unchecked spending spree with American taxpayers’ hard-earned money. They want a blank check to raise the debt ceiling instead of working with Republicans to create responsible spending limits.

“I invite the Biden administration to work with Republicans to uphold the rule of law, secure our borders, and bring fiscal sanity back to this nation.”

Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) saw optimism and hope for the nation:

“Tonight, President Biden delivered a message filled with hope and optimism for our nation,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. “In the last two years under President Biden’s steady leadership, he has delivered historic bipartisan accomplishments including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Honoring Our PACT Act, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. During his time in office, we have also seen numerous economic milestones from record-breaking job growth to the lowest unemployment rate in half a century.

“However, President Biden made it clear: our work remains unfinished. Our country is at an inflection point, and it is critical for us to work together to build a stronger America. We must continue to put the American people first and lower costs for working families, expand access to healthcare, invest in our nation’s infrastructure, protect our voting rights and our reproductive rights, tackle the climate crisis, and make our communities safer. Together, we have accomplished great things, and together, we can continue to build a better America for all.”

Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) shared in a video response that he does not see the President’s successes, but sees a negative impact for North Carolina:

“President Biden has failed on the economy, and North Carolina families have been paying the price.

Faced with sticker shock at the grocery store and at the gas pump, families have responded by making the tough decisions. They’ve been setting priorities and cutting back in order to live within their budgets.

Unfortunately, President Biden and Democrats have done the complete opposite. They’ve been reckless and irresponsible. They’ve wasted trillions on left-wing priorities that have made inflation even worse.

We cannot continue down the current trajectory. We need to get spending under control. And we need to open up domestic energy production to get energy prices down.

President Biden has also failed when it comes to one of our government’s most basic responsibilities: securing our border.

I saw this crisis first-hand just a few weeks ago, and it’s even worse than you can imagine. Our brave Border Patrol agents are overworked, overwhelmed, and underappreciated by this administration.

We need new leadership and that must start with a new DHS Secretary who will actually enforce our laws and work with Congress to secure our border.

I’ve demonstrated that I’m willing to work with any President on solutions that are good for North Carolina.

But I will also oppose any President when the policies they put forward are bad for North Carolina.

America faces monumental challenges and we can’t afford more bad policies from this administration. I hope President Biden will accept the reality that America is in need of a new direction. And I hope he will work across the aisle in good faith to get our country back on track.”

Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) shared her agreement with the President that progress has been made over the past two years:

“While we still have a way to go to recover from the pandemic, President Biden’s State of the Union Address made clear how much progress we’ve made over the past two years. I will continue to work with President Biden to build an economy that works for everyone, I will work with Republicans who want to help move our country forward, and I will join House Democrats in defending our progress. Let’s finish the job!”

“Lastly, I agree with President Biden that we will always vote to protect your Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.”

Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02) also responded to the address, calling it a message of unity:

“Tonight, we heard a powerful message of unity. In just two years, President Biden has brought our country together to lift us out of a pandemic, rebuild our economy, and ensure that no American is left behind. From lowering skyrocketing health care costs to creating good-paying clean energy jobs, the President and his administration are delivering for the American people. But the job is far from over. 

“While we passed a series of transformative bills in my first term, the task ahead of us is to ensure that every community across the country sees the results of our work in Washington – whether it’s building new roads and bridges with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or investing in students at NC State, Wake Tech, and our HCBUs through the CHIPS & Science Act.

“President Biden was clear tonight: we need to finish the job. We can’t allow partisan gridlock to impede our progress as a nation. I remain confident that if we set our differences aside and commit to the hard work of finding common ground, we can address the issues that matter most to the American people. I look forward to continuing to fight alongside the President and my colleagues in Congress to forge a brighter future for all of our people.”