Congressman Steve Stivers (R-15) sat down for a joint interview with Spectrum News 1, along with his State of the Union guest, Major General Deborah Ashenhurst, ahead of the president's speech on Tuesday. Ashenhurst is the new director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services. (You can watch the full interview in the video above)
The two discussed what they hoped to hear in the State of the Union, the state of veteran’s services in Ohio, the boarder security debate, and President Trump’s role in setting the tone for civility.
Stivers said he hoped the president would focus on things lawmakers from both sides of the aisle can do together. He said a lot of Americans agree on certain issues and there are opportunities to find solutions in a bipartisan fashion.
Stivers also stressed the need for Trump to talk about improving infrastructure, which he said also includes access to rural broadband in his district.
Stivers and Ashenhurst spoke about the importance of taking care of veterans who have served the country—helping them transition from active duty service members to being a veteran.
Ashenhurst said improving mental health treatment is the biggest priority for Ohio's veteran population.
On border security, Stivers said he wants a legislative solution, but if that doesn’t come to fruition, he would rather see the president declare a national emergency and keep the government open, rather than no national emergency and a shutdown government.
When asked about his role in the Congressional Civility and Respect Caucus, Stivers said the caucus should be used as an example to show that people can do better.
As for the president’s tone, Stivers said it always matters what people say and they should make the right choices every time they speak.
