US President Joe Biden is set to deliver his first State of the Union address after the control of the House of Representatives went to Republicans. The speech will mark the unofficial beginning of the 2024 presidential campaign season.
When will Biden deliver the State of the Union address?
The second State of the Union speech will be delivered by Biden on February 7, 2023 (Tuesday) at around 9 pm Eastern time (0200 GMT Wednesday). The speech will be live-streamed on all important US broadcast television networks and online.
Why is Biden’s State of the Union address important?
The address is likely to provide Biden with his widest television audience of the year. As per the data provider Nielsen, the speech was watched by around 38.2 million people on televisions across the country last year.
With such a large audience, Biden will get a chance to change the perception of people over social spending, the Russia-Ukraine war, the debt limit and other issues as he is working to announce his re-election campaign in the weeks ahead.
The address will also work as an opporutnity to gain support among Democrats, some of whom have concerns regarding his age and other topics. In November, Biden turned 80 and if he will be re-elected, he will be 82 at the start of the second term.
What to expect from Biden’s address?
Biden is likely to use the address as an unofficial beginning of the 2024 presidential campaign season and will list down the policy priorities that Congress may or may not support.
He is also expected to talk about the economic progress following the recession post-COVID-19, outline sharp contrasts with some Republican opponents’ priorities and also mention the “unity” agenda items that the president believes will unite the two parties.
It takes weeks to prepare the speech, as its many drafts are exchanged between Biden, his speechwriters and other political and policy officials present in the administration.
The last speech of Biden was delivered just after Ukraine was invaded by Russia and had a heavy emphasis on Washington’s response.
Who will attend the State of the Union address?
Biden will deliver the address during the joint session of Congress. All members of the Republican-controlled House and Democratic-controlled Senate are invited to the State of the Union address. It will also be attended by the members of Biden’s Cabinet, the armed forces and the Supreme Court.
Earlier in January, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had formally invited Biden to deliver the address. The event will be presided over by McCarthy as Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also the Senate’s president, will accompany.
The president extends the invitation to family members and other guests who will watch the address from the First Lady’s view box from the balcony. Guests are also invited by the Members of Congress.
The list of guests this year will include the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, who was recently beaten to death by Memphis police officers. They were sent an invitation by Congressional Black Caucus chair Representative Steven Horsford.
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Who is the ‘designated survivor’?
The one person from Biden’s Cabinet who does not take part in the address will be picked as a “designated survivor”.
The person will be kept in a secure location and has the duty of taking over the government in case of a situation which may the president as well as his other successors at the Capitol.
The government has till now not announced this year’s designated survivor.
Who will deliver the Republican response?
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was earlier White House press secretary under Donald Trump, has been selected by Republicans to deliver their response. The speech will be delivered shortly after the president’s address.
(With inputs from agencies)
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