Smith, Stauber Hope to Hear Trump Address Healthcare

Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) were both hoping to hear President Trump outline a plan for rising healthcare costs in Tuesday's State of the Union address.

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson was Smith's guest for the speech.

"I wanted to invite Mayor Larson to come with me because I so admire her leadership on healthcare issues and housing issues," Sen. Smith said.

According to Smith, the cost of healthcare is the No. 1 issue she hears from Minnesota voters.

"I have been working very hard on making insulin accessible to people that are struggling and can't afford the very medicine that they need to stay alive," she said. "So I am hoping that maybe tonight, the President will offer some solutions on that very, very needed action step for Minnesotans and people all over the country."

Besides prescription drugs, Rep. Stauber also hoped to hear an emphasis on energy independence.

"The President is supportive of our mining in Minnesota. He understands the economic impact and the economic driver that it is," Stauber said.

Mayor Larson said she was excited to be in Washington, D.C. to represent Duluth.

"Tonight's a really big opportunity, I think, for the president to really speak about local issues and to really recognize that there is a lot that we need as mayors, as communities, as a region to be successful that starts and happens here at the federal level," Larson said.

The State of the Union address happened as the impeachment trial is expected to wrap up Wednesday. Stauber said it hasn't been a distraction for him.

"It's in the Senate side, and for me, it's taken a lot of the air out of our nation's capitol," he said. "But we still have to focus on doing what we need to do -- in my case, making sure not only Minnesota's 8th district moves forward, but the state of Minnesota and the nation as a whole."