WASHINGTON -- Arkansas lawmakers in Congress found rare common ground with President Joe Biden on Tuesday as he delivered a broadside against Russia's invasion of Ukraine during his State of the Union speech.
Members of the state's all-Republican delegation rebuked various parts of the Democratic president's speech, but both parties marshaled unity in support for Ukraine amid Russian military attacks on the eastern European nation.
"I thought that the president did a good job expressing to the rest of the world our support for Ukraine," said U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., after the speech.
Addressing a crowd of lawmakers in the U.S. House chamber, Biden touched on U.S. sanctions leveled against Russia and castigated Russian President Vladimir Putin for launching a war.
Congressional members on both sides of the aisle stood and applauded when Biden introduced the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., including members of the delegation from Arkansas.
"That was a moment when you felt complete unity in the body," Boozman said.
Still, deep partisan divides permeate Congress as the nation faces the coronavirus pandemic, high consumer prices and fallout from last year's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Those partisan splits were on display Tuesday with members of Arkansas' congressional delegation staying seated as Biden highlighted domestic policy positions. Democratic counterparts stood frequently and cheered.
Even with the solidarity on Ukraine, Republicans still hold criticisms with how the Biden administration has managed Russia and Putin.
Strong sanctions earlier could have lead to a deterrence of Putin, said U.S. Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Little Rock.
In response to the Ukraine conflict, the U.S. should bolster its energy production at home, said U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., following the speech.
Arkansas congressional members also went after Biden's messaging on pocketbook issues like inflation.
Republicans point to soaring inflation over the last year and say the Biden administration's response has come up short. Consumer prices surged upward by 7.5% in January compared to a year before, marking the largest 12-month increase in about four decades.
"As I go around Arkansas, people are very, very concerned about inflation. They want to see their oil prices go down," Boozman said.
People are concerned about the supply chain, he said, and border control and crime are important issues.
"He briefly mentioned those things, but really didn't give any real answers as to how we can solve those problems," Boozman said.
Hill also pointed to high inflation and immigration issues in a statement.
"On the 405th day of his presidency, Joe Biden came to Congress to convince us that the state of our union is strong -- I was not convinced," Hill said. "Like many central Arkansans, I listened closely to President Biden's speech looking for inspiration and solutions to the problems facing our nation, but all I heard was a rehash of the liberal priorities that gave us these problems in the first place."
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, the Rogers Republican, also hit Biden on inflation, saying the speech was detached from the daily realities of most Americans.
"To stop this season of crisis, President Biden has to prioritize the American people," Womack said in a statement. "The focus must be containing inflation, strengthening national security, unleashing energy independence and restoring common sense. I urge President Biden to abandon his radical agenda and put the nation first."
Biden also used the speech to praise the state of the U.S. economy. In January, 467,000 jobs were added and the unemployment rate stayed relatively level at 4%, according to the U.S. Labor Department. That unemployment rate is down by 2.4% compared to January 2021, the month Biden took office, according to the department.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said Biden failed to take responsibility for the failures of his administration's first year.
"It's clear Biden's only paycheck has only ever come from the government, because he knows nothing of economics or running a business. America deserves so much better," Westerman said in a statement.
Appearing at the address on Tuesday was Sen. Tom Cotton, who previously told the Democrat-Gazette he would skip the event due to covid protocols. He attended after "partisan COVID mandates" were dropped, according to his office.
Receiving a mention at the speech was U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, a federal appeals court judge who, if confirmed, would be the first Black woman to serve on the nation's high court.
Boozman has raised concerns about Jackson. Cotton says constituents can expect a "full and thorough review" of Jackson's record and legal views.
Both senators voted against her confirmation to the appellate court.