Ed O'Keefe and Robert Costa report at
The Washington Post:
President Obama gave one State of the Union Address Tuesday night in English that was translated in real-time by Spanish-language broadcasters including Univision, Telemundo and others.
Republicans, however, relied on two lawmakers to deliver their formal response. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) delivered one in English. Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) responded in Spanish.
Both lawmakers are new to Washington and were selected by party leaders to showcase fast-rising fresh faces. They delivered similar messages that stressed unique life stories, their commitment to family and how the GOP Congress plans to govern in the next year.
But at a few subtle moments, Ernst and Curbelo deviated from each other. Ernst emphasized national security. Curbelo stressed his experience working on education issues and expressed hope that Republicans can work with Obama on immigration reform. Ernst never muttered the word "immigration."
