The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Darcey Rakestraw, 202-683-2467; drakestraw@fwwatch.org

State of the Union: A Fake Emergency Obscures a Real One

Statement by Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director, Food & Water Watch

WASHINGTON

In advance of the State of the Union address tonight, Food & Water Watch's executive director Wenonah Hauter released the following statement:

"Tonight, we expect Trump to focus on a fake immigration emergency to advance his agenda while completely disregarding the real emergency: climate change and its disastrous effects on everything from weather patterns to food production and water resources. His constituency is economic elites--so look for Trump to continue to promote energy, trade and infrastructure policies that would enrich billionaires and Wall Street at the expense of our health and our planet.

"Rather than wasting resources on a border wall, we need a World War II-level mobilization effort that moves us off of fossil fuels while providing a just transition for those impacted by the changes. We need an infrastructure plan that will provide clean, affordable drinking water for all. And we need policies that benefit all Americans, not just the richest. Trump's wall and his anti-immigrant rhetoric is a distraction to keep Americans fearful and focused on fake problems, while our future is squandered for the immense profit of a few."

Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people's health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.

(202) 683-2500