The American Dream took center stage Tuesday night in Rep. Juan Ciscomani’s Spanish-language reaction to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
Ciscomani, R-Ariz., said the word “dream” 14 times during his speech, all of which began with reference to “American” or the American Dream. A freshman in the U.S. Congress, he spoke about how his life story embodies this ideal, is harder to achieve today, and how the Republican Party is trying to keep it alive. .
Ciscomani talked about how his family achieved the American Dream. When he was young, he immigrated from Mexico to Arizona, where his parents came to improve his status in life. His father used to drive city buses in Tucson.
“When I talked to my father, he said, ‘Where in the world can we tell our story? most of my life and my son is now a member of the United States Congress,” Ciscomani said.
He talked about how he was sworn into the Constitution twice. The first time was when he was naturalized as a U.S. citizen, and the second time was when he was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ciscomani represents Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, which includes the Tucson edge and portions of Pima County, as well as portions of Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, and Pinal Counties.
Ciscomani talked about how it’s difficult to achieve the American dream today due to soaring gas prices, rising costs of living and overdosing on fentanyl. “President Biden wants to say that everything is great, but why are people not feeling well? I feel the American dream is more achievable…a viable solution.”
Union status:Kirsten Cinema sits among Republicans as Biden cries out for some of her achievements
Under the leadership of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republican California, Republicans have developed a “commitment to America” plan to preserve the American Dream, Ciscomani said. The plan includes “strengthening” the entitlement program, which includes cutting government spending as a means of moderating inflation and enhancing personal, border or national security. he said.
Ciscomani concluded his speech by looking beyond the American Dream.
“I’m a real believer in the American Dream because it’s not about financial success. It’s about freedom to pursue happiness,” he said. “It’s the dream I live by. It’s the dream that unites us all. It’s the dream I live by. It’s a dream worth defending, and together we will make it a reality for everyone.” Let’s put our differences aside and focus on the results to keep this dream alive for posterity.”
While covering the American Dream 15 times, Ciscomani makes no mention of immigration policy or the so-called “dreamers,” children brought to this country illegally as children and hoping to one day obtain U.S. citizenship. did not. The Deferred Action Program for Childhood Arrivals was created in 2012 under President Barack Obama to allow eligible participants to apply for things like driver’s licenses and work permits. Biden has taken steps to reverse a Trump-era DACA decision that narrowed the scope of the program.
Tara Kavalor is a political reporter for the Arizona Republic. She can contact her by email. tara.kavaler@arizonarepublic.com or on twitter @kavalertara.
