WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) issued the following statement in opposition to the boycott of Georgia.

“During his inaugural address, President Biden spoke of the need to “restore the soul” of America and the “most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity.” To do this, he said, would require “more than words.” Not even three months after that speech, President Biden became the first President in American history to advocate for the boycott of a state. The decisions of MLB and other corporations to boycott Georgia are based on pure disinformation that is designed to divide Americans along partisan and racial lines.

“I grew up in the Jim Crow South, and I’ve seen the ugliness of prejudice firsthand. To affiliate a law that expands voting access with Jim Crow 2.0 is both false and offensive. Sadly, even as Democrats and corporate America claim to be defending Black Americans and other minorities, their reckless and baseless decisions hurt these communities the most. By championing the boycott of Georgia, President Biden and Democrats have shifted $100 million of investment from Atlanta and its 52% Black population to Denver and its 81% white population.

“There’s an old saying – “don’t listen to what they say, watch what they do.” President Biden was right to say that uniting the nation would “require more than words.” Unfortunately, his actions just don’t meet those same standards.”