Lawmakers react to Biden’s Oval Office address 

Lawmakers reacted after President Biden delivered an Oval Office address Thursday night, during which he spoke on the Israel-Hamas conflict and the war in Ukraine.

Democrats seemed to react well to their leader’s Thursday night speech, with many praising the president’s words on the current foreign conflicts.

“Tonight, President Joe Biden masterfully presented the case that American leadership on the world stage is necessary for preserving and promoting democracy,” former Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. 

“In his Oval Office address, the President strongly reiterated America’s commitment to the people of Israel and the people of Ukraine as they defend their democracies,” Pelosi continued. 

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D), the Senate majority whip, appeared to thank the president for his words during the speech.

“Thank you, @POTUS, for reminding America that we have a singular role in the world fighting against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like the infamous war criminal, Vladimir Putin,” Durbin said in a post on X. 

“I agree with what @POTUS said tonight: the decisions Congress makes in the coming weeks will determine democracy’s fate for decades,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in his own X post. 

Republican Sen. J.D. Vance (Ohio) took aim at Biden for tying the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine together.

“Why is Joe Biden going on national television and selling people on a Ukrainian escalation, when Joe Biden is talking about the terrible tragedy in Israel?” Vance said in a Fox News clip posted to his press office’s account.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) also had harsh words for the president about his address.

“Joe Biden’s Oval Office address was a weak speech that did not spend enough time addressing the threat facing the Jewish state,” Blackburn said in an X post. 

“Once again, Biden failed to hold Iran accountable, commit to freezing the $6 billion to Iran, or pledge to withhold aid to Hamas,” she continued. 

“I’ve called for @POTUS to address the American people about our role in Ukraine and to outline our strategy for months,” Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) said in a post on X. “I am glad that he addressed the country but it was a lackluster address without a clear plan.”