Local attendees give State of the Union mixed reviews
The local attendees to Tuesday's State of the Union address gave mixed reviews of the yearly speech.
Estefanía Garcia, who works for the nonprofit Mano a Mano Family Resource Center in Round Lake Park, was a guest of Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider and was happy to hear President Barack Obama mention wanting a new immigration law.
“It was definitely an exciting experience,” Garcia said after the speech. “It makes me a lot more optimistic to look into the future,” she said.
But undocumented immigrant Maria Torres, who works for Family Focus in Aurora, wanted to hear more.
The guest of Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, said she was “very disappointed” that Obama “briefly touched on” new immigration rules.
“I think that only means Congress must now act,” Garcia said.
Meanwhile, Diane Iser, a Hoffman Estates breast cancer survivor and guest of Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam said she was “insulted” and “upset” by Obama's speech.
Iser was informed last year she wouldn't be allowed to keep her health insurance plan because of new Affordable Care Act rules. She eventually was allowed to keep it for 2013 but is worried about the future.
“I'm the face of what is wrong with the Affordable Care Act,” Iser said.