What Josh Hawley, Eric Schmitt, other Missouri lawmakers said about State of the Union

As President Joe Biden delivered his annual State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday evening, Missouri's members of Congress sent out rapid-fire social media posts and statements in response.

The Show-Me State's senators and six Republican House members frequently criticized Biden and Democrats' agenda, while the state's two Democratic representatives affirmed certain policies and supported the president.

Here's a roundup of what Missouri's congressional delegation had to say about the speech.

From USA TODAY:Five takeaways from Joe Biden's State of the Union address

U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt

Hawley, Missouri's senior senator, pushed back on Biden's pledge to fight for blue-collar workers, pointing to his climate-oriented policies.

"Biden says he will fight for blue-collar workers ... and then shuts down our pipelines, regulates our farms out of existence and tells everybody to buy electric cars," Hawley wrote on Twitter.

He did find common ground with the president, however, standing and applauding when Biden called to cap the cost of insulin. Hawley introduced a bill this week that would set a $25 monthly out-of-pocket cap for a monthly supply of the vital medicine for those with diabetes.

Schmitt, who is serving his freshman term in the Senate, said Tuesday evening that Biden's speech was a "dispatch from fantasy land."

"High prices on necessary goods and services, a wide open southern border, and a Chinese spy asset flying in American airspace for days demonstrates the utter lack of leadership from the White House,” Schmitt said in a statement.

"Working families are hurting & deserved more than Biden's out of touch, disconnected, tone-deaf speech last night," he wrote on Twitter.

First-term congressmen: U.S. Reps. Eric Burlison and Mark Alford

Burlison, a first-term representative from southwest Missouri, said in a video posted to social media that he was disappointed Biden did not address what Republicans have highlighted as major issues and criticisms of his administration. They include southern border policy, tense relations with China and U.S. energy independence.

"All of these things are what most Americans are thinking about," Burlison said. "I cannot believe he spent a great deal of his speech talking about fees and timeshares. ... I hope that this president gets it, that the American people respond to him, and that we're able to steer the ship in the right direction."

Alford, who's also serving his first term, called Biden "weak" in a statement after his speech, pointing to similar concerns surrounding national security and inflation.

"Biden’s failures have become a broken record, repeated again and again. The American people deserve answers for the crisis Biden has created, and tonight Biden failed once again by gaslighting the American people," he said.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Cori Bush and Emanuel Cleaver praise speech, urge action

Cleaver, of Kansas City, said there had been "historic progress" under the Biden administration but there was still more to be done.

"From investing in American workers & bringing good-paying jobs back home to lowering costs for families & seniors, I am committed helping him finish the job!" Cleaver wrote on social media.

Bush, who represents the St. Louis area, urged lawmakers to pass the PRO Act, which would expand the rights and protections of labor unions, as well as Biden's call for a "minimum tax on billionaires" and tax increases for corporate stock buybacks.

"We cannot allow greedy billionaires and corporations to hoard wealth while our communities suffer," Bush said.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri's congressional members react to Biden's State of the Union