Washington, Feb. 8 (U.S.): President Joe Biden urged Congress Tuesday night to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation, as he delivered a State of the Union address aimed at reassuring a country in economic crisis. Pessimism and fraught political divisions.
In his 73-minute speech, Biden sought to portray a country that has improved dramatically from the one he took charge of two years ago: from a faltering economy to one thriving with new jobs; From a nation crippled and decimated by pandemics to one that has now reopened, a democracy that has survived its greatest test since the Civil War.
“Guys, the story of America is one of progress and resilience. And it’s always moving forward. And never, never giving up,” Biden said. “It is a unique story among all countries. We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis we entered stronger than when we entered it.”
“We are not done yet by any stretch of the imagination,” he declared.
The backdrop for the annual address was markedly different from two years ago, with the Republican speaker now sitting expressionless behind Biden and newly empowered GOP lawmakers in the room occasionally shouting criticism of him and his administration.
As Biden, 80, prepares for a potential re-election bid, he has sought to prove to a skeptical country that his leadership has delivered results at home and abroad.
He highlighted record job creation during his tenure as the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, and pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including the states’ critical infrastructure projects and high-tech manufacturing.
“There’s no reason we can’t work together and come to a consensus on something important in this Congress as well,” he said.
“People have sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for power’s sake, fighting for struggle’s sake gets us nowhere,” Biden said.
“This has always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class — and to unite the country.”
“We were sent here to finish the job!”
But the challenges for Biden are many: economic uncertainty, the debilitating war in Ukraine, rising tensions with China, and more.
Signs of past trauma at the Capitol, most notably the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, were unavoidable: large fencing surrounded the complex, and lawmakers and attendees faced tighter-than-usual security.
The growing partisan divisions were evident from the start. Democrats — including Vice President Kamala Harris — jumped into applause as Biden began his speech.
New Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, though he greeted the president warmly as he entered the chamber, remained in his seat.
The speech came as Biden changed his mind after spending his first two years pushing major bills like a bipartisan infrastructure package, legislation to boost high-tech manufacturing and climate measures.
With Republicans now in control of the House of Representatives, and even meeting the government’s financial obligations far from a certainty, Biden is turning his focus to implementing those massive laws and making sure that voters praise him for improvements.
Instead of flashy suggestions, the president offered an encouraging assessment of the state of the nation, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America’s democracy was “undivided and unbroken.”
The president took to the stage in the House of Representatives at a time when only a quarter of American adults say things are going in the right direction, according to a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
About three-quarters of them say things are going wrong. And the majority of Democrats do not want Biden to seek another term.
He sought to confront those feelings head on.
“You wonder if the way is there anymore for your kids to move forward without having to turn away,” Biden said.
“I get it. That’s why we’re building an economy that leaves no one behind. Jobs come back, and pride comes back because of the choices we’ve made in the last several years.”
On Wednesday, Biden was due to travel to Wisconsin, where he and members of his cabinet will embark on a two-day campaign across 20 countries to highlight economic progress in his first two years in office.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who gained national prominence as former President Donald Trump’s press secretary, delivered the Republican response to Biden’s speech.
Much of her remarks focused on social issues, including race in business, education and the alleged censorship of big tech over conservatives.
“While reaping the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more concerned with the illusions of waking life than the hard reality Americans face every day,” she said.
“Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are being attacked in a left-wing culture war that we did not start and never wanted to fight.”
“The choice is between normal and crazy,” she added.
With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, the White House and lawmakers from both parties invited guests designed to bring political messages home with their presence in the House.
The mother and stepfather of Tire Nichols, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis and later died, were among those seated with First Lady Jill Biden.
Other Biden guests include rock star/humanitarian Bono, and 26-year-old Brandon Tsai, who last month disarmed a gunman in Monterey Park, Calif., who opened fire.
“There are no words to describe the sadness and grief of losing a child,” Biden said after presenting Rovon and Rodney Wells with a standing ovation. He called on Congress to “rise to this moment” to make meaningful change in policing.
Biden drew bipartisan applause when he praised most law enforcement officers as “good, decent, honorable people” but added that “when police officers or police departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable.”
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus called on family members of those involved in police incidents, as they sought to push for action on police reform in the wake of Nichols’ death.
Biden, who is not known for his noble speeches, appeared relaxed and confident as he delivered his speech.
He casually told jokes and fired back, seeming to feed off reactions from Democratic lawmakers who often stood in thunderous applause and comically engaged with Republican pundits.
Addressing Republicans who voted against the big, bipartisan infrastructure law, Biden said he would ensure their pet projects receive federal support.
“I promised to be a president for all Americans,” he said. “We will fund these projects. And I will see you lay the groundwork.”
Occasional Republican harassment — some silence from McCarthy — reflected a newly empowered GOP eager to undo many of Biden’s accomplishments and vow to pursue several investigations — including looking into recent discoveries of classified documents from his time as vice president in office. Former home and office.
Despite pledging bipartisanship where possible, Biden also underscored existing acute tensions: He discussed GOP efforts to repeal the Democrats’ Climate Change and Health Care Act of 2022 and their reluctance to raise the federal debt limit, the country’s legal borrowing authority that should be raised. Later this year or the risk of default.
“Instead of making the rich pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to end. I’m not saying it’s a majority,” Biden said.
As GOP lawmakers responded from the audience, Biden responded: “We’re not going to move to the threat of default if we don’t fight back.”
However, some Republicans refused to back down, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-GA, jumping.
The president responded, “Stand up and show them: We won’t cut Social Security! We won’t cut Medicare!”
As Republicans continued to protest his accusations, he said, “We’ve got a consensus.”
While hopes for a broad bipartisanship are slim, Biden has reissued his 2022 appeal to Congress to stand behind his “Unity Agenda” to tackle the opioid epidemic, mental health, veterans’ health and cancer.
In heavy refrains, Biden said the phrase “finish the job” 13 times, challenging lawmakers to complete his administration’s work on fixing insulin costs for all Americans, tackling climate change, raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations, and banning assault-style weapons. .
But on all of those fronts, a divided government is less likely to capitulate than a Congress under sole Democratic control.