Dwight Evans, recovering from last year’s stroke, says he’s healthy enough to attend Trump’s speech. Here’s why he won’t.
The Philadelphia lawmaker is one of several Democrats boycotting the president’s evening address to Congress.
U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans was in his Washington office Tuesday afternoon overlooking the U.S. Capitol but he planned to leave ahead of President Donald J. Trump’s evening address to Congress.
Evans, who represents Philadelphia, is one of a handful of Democratic lawmakers who are boycotting the speech.
“This president has not demonstrated, in my view, how to treat people,” Evans said in Washington, noting the president’s behavior at a recent White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which Trump’s critics have called an ambush.
“It’s also clear when you look at cuts to health care and how families are being affected. You can’t take that for granted. To me he doesn’t demonstrate the importance of bringing people together. He’s been a dividing force. It’s been this way since Jan 3.”
Evans, who missed several months of votes last year after suffering a stroke said his boycott was about sending a statement and that he would have physically been able to attend.
“I’m following doctors’ orders. I feel great,” he said.
He stood up from behind his desk where he was sitting, a little shaky, to demonstrate that.
Save for the Jan. 7 vote on the Laken Riley Act, which easily passed the House, Evans has not missed a key vote during this session of Congress. Republicans hold a narrow majority making attendance for Democrats key.
“We work for the voters,” Evans said. “I don’t take that for granted nor do I take that lightly. I understand what the numbers are and we gotta do what we gotta do.”
He was unsure how he would spend his evening and whether he would watch the address.
Several other House Democrats are sitting the speech out including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D., Va.), Rep. Don Beyer (D., Va.), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D., Md.) Rep. Diana DeGette (D., Colo.) and Rep. Becca Balint (D., Vt).
Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wa.), the No. 3 Democrat in the Senate, said she won’t attend.
Sens. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.), Brian Schatz (D., Hawaii) Ed Markey (D., Ma.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D., Md.) planned to fact check and offer live reactions to the speech.