DALLAS — Freshman U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-32nd Congressional District, said he heard opportunities in the State of the Union speech to work with President Trump.
"I was looking to hear about the president's willingness to invest in infrastructure," Allred said. "I heard that. Prescription drugs [as well], and I did hear that."
The Dallas Democrat campaigned on both of those issues last year, defeating incumbent Congressman Pete Sessions.
U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-26th Congressional District, also said lowering prescription drug costs is a priority.
"President Trump has made lowering health care costs a core priority of his Administration’s agenda," Burgess said in a statement. "As the most senior physician serving in Congress, I am honored to work alongside President Trump to lower drug costs and make the health care system work for – and not against – American patients and doctors."
In his second State of the Union, the president reminded Congress and the country that lawmakers have 10 days left to reach a deal on a border wall after he agreed to reopen the government.
"Republicans are ready to support the president and find common ground with our colleagues across the aisle," said U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden, R-5th Congressional District. "Our country needs them to take this moment seriously and work with us if we are going to reach that better tomorrow."
But Democrats rarely rose to applause the president during his State of the Union.
“Our Democratic agenda is clear: We need health care for all," Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, said in a statement Tuesday night. "We need strong neighborhood schools. We need good-paying jobs. We need to end Trump’s tax cuts that steal from middle-class families. We need to invest in our infrastructure. We need to protect and expand Social Security."