WASHINGTON — Republicans representing the North Country in Congress, including Rep. Elise Stefanik, have expectedly expressed disappointment in President Joseph R. Biden’s State of the Union address, saying there was little redeemable about his Thursday night speech.

Biden delivered to Congress a politically-focused speech that sought to address some of the issues he polls weak on, like the border, public safety and the economy. He appeared to lay out much of what he will focus on in his reelection campaign, and made 13 individual references to former President Donald J. Trump, his predecessor and main competition in the race for reelection.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-NY, brought Andrii Chevozorov, a 25-year old Ukrainian junior lieutenant, who lost his leg in a landmine explosion. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, brought Billie Jean King, former women’s tennis champion and vocal advocate for gender equality. Gov. Kathy Hochul was in attendance, the first New York governor in recent history to attend the State of the Union. She was brought by Rep. Adriano Espalliat, D-Manhattan.

Congress members who attend the event take guests, typically meant to deliver some sort of political point.

Stefanik, R-NY21, brought Brandon Budlong, a border patrol agent from Theresa, Jefferson County, and president of the local chapter of the National Border Patrol Council.

Stefanik said in an interview after the event that she was disappointed, saying Biden’s speech was the most partisan, least effective State of the Union address she had ever seen.

“This was a failed president, with a failed record, and the White House desperately wanted this to be a reset,” Stefanik said.

She said the members of her party shared her surprise at the partisan nature of the speech, and found only one redeeming point in the entire address.

“I believe the call for all the hostages to be returned home, that was a moment of bipartisanship, but that was it,” she said, referring to Biden’s pledge to continue working on the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

She reiterated she could not support the bipartisan border bill Biden spoke of, and said it was a “non-starter.” She said the only path to action on the border would be for the president and Senate Democrats to support the House Republican border bill, which is much more conservative, restricting the asylum process, expanding surveillance to freeze migration and cracking down on the existing undocumented population, as well as building another 900 miles of border wall.

On Ukrainian aid, Stefanik said she has concerns, driven by a report that about a billion dollars in defense aid can’t be tracked after it was given to Ukraine. She said she supports aid to Israel, and said Biden was off the mark when he threatened to veto an Israel-only aid package. She said the Republicans in the House will continue to promote defense aid for Israel.