WASHINGTON, D.C — President Joe Biden took credit Tuesday for what he said was the country’s economic revival while pushing an agenda of reducing prescription drug costs, protecting abortion rights and banning assault weapons.
The economy was reeling two years ago, Biden said in his second State of the Union address delivered in a packed House chamber. In a preview of an expected reelection campaign announcement, he noted that the unemployment rate was at 50-year low while inflation has been easing.
“We’ve been sent here to finish the job,” Biden said, invoking a phrase he used several times in his speech.
But the atmosphere in the House chamber telegraphed fights ahead, including over budget priorities and avoiding a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt. At several points in Biden’s speech, was interrupted by Republicans, who criticized his handling of border policy and pushed back when he accused them of trying to cut popular entitlements.
The latest on Biden’s speech:
- Blue-collar pitch: Promoting his economic plan, Biden assured Americans that he wants to invest in “places and people that have been forgotten,” arguing that “too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible.”
- Biden calls Pelosi ‘greatest speaker’ ever: Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t sitting behind Biden for his address but she got a special call-out from the president anyway.
- Biden touts progress on insulin prices while pushing for more: Biden renewed his call to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American.
- Biden spars with GOP over Social Security and Medicare: The president prompted protests in the chamber from Republican lawmakers when he repeated his accusation that the GOP was trying to cut entitlements. When the protests continued, Biden said he wasn’t arguing that all Republicans back reviewing entitlement programs every five years. “But it’s being proposed,” he said.
Biden calls Paul Pelosi ‘tough’
Biden called out the political violence that was unleashed in the wake of Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
“With democracy, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is,” he said.
Biden introduced Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was violently attacked in their home by an intruder, saying the assailant was “unhinged by the Big Lie” that the election was stolen.
“Here tonight in this chamber is the man who bears the scars of that brutal attack, but is as tough and strong and as resilient as they get. My friend, Paul Pelosi,” he said. “But such a heinous act never should have happened.”
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Paul Pelosi attack:Video footage of violent home attack on Paul Pelosi released
Biden gets personal and celebrates Cancer Moonshot initiative
Biden celebrated the Cancer Moonshot initiative, aimed at advancing cancer prevention and treatment,
“Our goal is to cut the cancer death rates at least by 50% in the next 25 years. Turn more cancers from death sentences to treatable diseases. Provide more support for patients and their families.” The issue is also deeply personal to Biden, as one of his sons, Beau Biden, passed away due to brain cancer. “It’s personal to so many of us.”
Biden also singled out Maurice and Kandice Barron, a pair of guests invited by First Lady Jill Biden. Their daughter, Ava Barron, was diagnosed with a form of kidney cancer when she was one year old. “She turns four next month,” Biden said to wide cheers from the audience. “They just found out Ava’s beating the odds and is on her way to being cured from cancer.”
– Ken Tran
Cancer treatment:New cancer therapy takes personalized medicine to a new level
Biden says US stood up to China
Facing Republicans who’ve accused him of being too soft on China, Biden said he responded clearly last week when a Chinese surveillance balloon floated over the United States.
China knows that if U.S. sovereignty is threatened, Americans will act to protect the country.
“And we did,” Biden said, an apparent reference to his decision to shoot down the balloon.
– Maureen Groppe
Chinese spy balloon:Chinese spy balloon went over other US missile and nuclear weapons sites, lawmaker says
Biden: Stop production, trafficking of fentanyl
Citing Americans’ growing dependence on prescription drugs, Biden called for a major campaign to stop the production, sale and trafficking of fentanyl.
Biden noted that fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year. But his remarks were met with contempt from some members of Congress.
“It’s your fault!” several Republicans shouted.
– Michael Collins
What is fentanyl poisoning?:These State of the Union guests lost their son to it
Biden says VA working to end ‘the silent scourge of suicide’
Biden said when he first appointed Denis McDonough to run the Department of Veterans Affairs, the country was losing up to 25 veterans a day to “the silent scourge of suicide,” and continues to lose 17 per day.
“The VA is doing everything it can, including expanding mental health screenings and a proven program that recruits veterans to help other veterans understand what they’re going through and get the help they need,”
– Erin Mansfield
Military suicide:Amid suicide crisis, the Army says it will rush mental health providers to Alaska
Biden calls for higher teacher pay
Biden hasn’t touched much on education issues during the address but did take a moment to outline several priorities on that front. Among them: expanding access to preschool and raising teacher pay.
In 2021, teachers made less than 77 cents on the dollar compared with other college graduates. Yet surveys show teachers work more than 50 hours a week on average. Close to 1 in 5 work elsewhere at another job. It’s no surprise that nearly half of U.S. schools are short teachers. Some states and districts have proposed or enacted pay bumps but they’ve been modest at best.
Federal legislation again before Congress this session would set a teacher salary floor of $60,000. While raising teacher pay has garnered the support of some Republicans, the American Teacher Act is unlikely to get far. In some states teachers make less than $50,000 on average.
– Alia Wong
Teacher shortage:Amid crippling teacher shortages, some schools are turning to unorthodox solutions
Biden urges lawmakers to protect abortion rights
Biden called on lawmakers to “restore” abortion rights after the Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion.
“The vice president and I are doing everything to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient safety,” Biden said, noting that states across the country have implemented abortion bans and restrictions.
“Make no mistake about it. If Congress passes a national ban, I will veto it,” the president vowed.
– Marina Pitofsky
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Biden renews call to stand with Ukraine ‘as long as it takes’
Calling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “test for the ages,” Biden said the U.S. passed that test by standing for sovereignty.
That matters, Biden said, because it “prevents open season for would-be aggressors.”
His argument – and promise to stand with Ukraine “as long as it takes” – comes as some Republicans are calling for greater scrutiny, or even a curtailment, of U.S. involvement.
– Maureen Groppe
Ukraine latest:Ukraine pushes to exclude Russia from 2024 Paris Olympics
Bono at the SOTU:Here’s why musician, advocate Bono is at Biden’s State of the Union address
America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts, said Biden.
Since launching a new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97%, Biden said.
“We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months,” he said.
He urged Congress to pass his plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. He also asked Congress to pave a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Border politics:Republicans said Biden wasn’t doing enough on the border. New GOP-led House is demanding answers
Biden highlights ‘courage’ of Brandon Tsay and calls for assault weapon bans
Biden singled out Brandon Tsay’s heroism two weeks ago when he disarmed the Monterey Park shooter who killed 11 people who attended a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. Tsay, who is in attendance, received a standing ovation from lawmakers as Biden acknowledged him.
“He saved lives. It’s time we do the same as well,” Biden said. “Ban assault weapons once and for all.”
Mass shootings typically lead lawmakers to call for such actions but it’s unlikely that a ban will pass in a divided Congress with many Republican lawmakers who have vowed that they will not waver on gun control.
– Elisabeth Buchwald
‘Still too high’:Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin orders independent panel to study military suicide
Marjorie Taylor Greene yells at Biden multiple times
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a fervent opponent of Biden who has called for his impeachment, yelled at him twice during the State of the Union address.
The first time came as Biden said Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare – an accusation that Greene refuted when she stood up yelled “Liar!”
Greene later yelled, “China spied on us!” near the end of Biden’s speech.
She also yelled to “close the border” and “it’s your fault” when the president talked about the fentanyl crisis.
– Candy Woodall
State of the Union guests:Lawmakers highlight policing, abortion, wrongful imprisonment
Biden on Tyre Nichols’ death: ‘Something good must come from this’
Biden used his speech to pay tribute to Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers.
Biden called for more police training and more resources to reduce violent crime, along with more investments in housing, education and training.
Noting that Nichols’ mother and stepfather were seated in the first lady’s box, Biden urged lawmakers to commit themselves to making the words of Nichols’ mother come true: “Something good must come from this.”
– Michael Collins
Tyre Nichols killing:7 more Memphis police employees under investigation in Tyre Nichols’ death, city attorney says
Biden invokes Uvalde massacre in call for gun reform
In a call to action on gun violence, Biden invoked his trip to Uvalde, Texas, after the Robb Elementary School shooting where 19 students and two teachers were killed.
“Do something, do something. That was the plea of parents who lost their children in Uvalde, I met with everyone.” Biden said, then pointing to the bipartisan gun reform law he signed. “Thank god we did. Passing the most sweeping gun safety law in three decades.”
– Ken Tran
Uvalde shooting:Her daughter was killed in Uvalde. She’s suing police, the school district and a gunmaker.
COVID is under control but vigilance necessary, says Biden
While COVID-19 deaths are down nearly 90%, and the end of the public health emergency is close, Biden said the country will remember the pain of losing loved ones will never go away for many.
“Families grieving. Children orphaned. Empty chairs at the dining room table. We remember them, and we remain vigilant,” he said.
Biden said it was important to remain vigilant and monitor dozens of variants and support new vaccines and treatments. He urged Congress to fund these efforts and keep America safe.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
The COVID emergency declaration is ending:What it means for tests, vaccines, treatment
Biden: Police departments ‘must be held accountable’
Saying Tyre Nichols’ mother wants something good to come from his death at the hands of police officers in Memphis, Biden called for police reform.
“When police officers or departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable,” he said.
Biden also pointed to an executive order he signed affecting federal officers that banned chokeholds, restricted no-knock warrants, and implemented “other key elements of the George Floyd Act.”
– Erin Mansfield
Tyre Nichols:Ex-Memphis police officer took a photo of Tyre Nichols after beating, document says
Biden urges Congress to act on labor reform
Biden called for Congress to take up labor reform and worker protections as he touted his support for unions and his pledge to be “the most pro-union president.”
“I’m so sick and tired of companies breaking the law by preventing workers from organizing,” said Biden. “Workers have a right to form a union.”
Biden also urged action on additional worker protections and benefits, including paid family and medical leave and affordable child care, specifically calling for the return of the expanded Child Tax Credit.
– Ken Tran
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Biden calls for rebooting the expanded Child Tax Credit
Parents who qualify for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) won’t be getting as hefty checks as last year. That’s because the enhanced CTC, which parents could also opt to receive in installments rather than waiting to receive it in a lump sum payment when they file their taxes, expired.
The enhanced CTC increased payments from $2,000 per qualifying child to $3,600 for children ages 5 and under and $3,000 for children ages 6 through 17. This year it will go back to $2,000 for qualifying children of all ages.
In his remarks, Biden vowed to “restore the full Child Tax Credit which gave tens of millions of parents some breathing room and cut child poverty in half, to the lowest level in history.”
– Elisabeth Buchwald
Child tax credit this year:How much is the Child Tax Credit for 2023? Here’s what you need to know about qualifying.
Biden: Ban ‘junk fees’ on hotel bills, other services
Biden urged Congress to pass legislation to ban excess fees that companies often tack onto hotel bills, airline tickets and other services.
“Americans are tired of being played for suckers,” he said.
The Junk Fee Prevention Act, if approved, would bar so-called “resort fees” that can add up to $90 a night on hotel bills, stop cable internet and cell phone companies from charging up to $200 more when a customer switches providers, and prohibit airlines from charging up to $50 roundtrip for families to sit together, Biden said.
– Michael Collins
Junk fees:Biden moves to limit credit fees to $8 for missed payments in latest “junk fee” crack down
Social Security and Medicare benefits draw tension during speech
Biden’s State of the Union address comes as he and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have started talks on the debt ceiling and government spending.
Tension has been building between the two parties over Social Security and Medicare benefits. McCarthy said Republicans aren’t going to cut those programs, but Democrats say the math will force those cuts if the GOP demands lowered government spending.
Biden in his speech said Republicans want to cut the programs, to which Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stood up and yelled “Liar!” as other members booed the president.
“OK, so we agree,” Biden said. “Social Security and Medicare is off the books.”
Bipartisan cheers returned to the chamber.
– Candy Woodall
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Biden takes credit for deficit cuts
Biden celebrated the government’s deficit cuts seen under his administration in his State of the Union address.
“For the last two years, my administration has cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion, the largest deficit reduction in American history,” Biden said. The deficit’s cut was partly a result of higher tax revenues that Biden touted but also the end of spending related to the pandemic.
Biden also took a jab at former President Donald Trump for increases in the federal deficit under Trump’s administration. “Under the previous administration, the American deficit went up four years in a row,” Biden said, to boos and jeers from Republican lawmakers.
– Ken Tran
What happens if the US hits the debt ceiling?:Here’s what to expect if we reach debt limit.
Biden says Republicans want to ‘take the economy hostage’ in debt ceiling talks
Biden accused Republicans of wanting to “take the economy hostage” unless he agrees to their demands for spending cuts during debt ceiling talks.
Biden demanded Republicans show “what their plans are.” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has not specified what Republicans want axed.
“Some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years,” Biden said, prompting loud boos from Republicans in Congress.
– Joey Garrison
Medicare and debt ceiling fight:How Medicare and Social Security benefits factor into the Kevin McCarthy debt ceiling fight
Biden defends Inflation Reduction Act
President Biden touted the Inflation Reduction Act which he signed into law, saying he was taking on powerful interest to bring health care costs down.
“You know, we pay more for prescription drugs than any major country on earth,” he said. “Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars – and making record profits.”
Having capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for seniors on Medicare, Biden said it was time to help Americans not on Medicare, including 200,000 young people with Type I diabetes who need insulin to save their lives. “Let’s cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it,” he said. The law also caps out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors on Medicare at a maximum $2,000 per year.
He also promised to veto any attempts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Credit fees:Biden moves to limit credit fees to $8 for missed payments in latest “junk fee” crack down
Biden tangles with GOP lawmakers over Social Security and Medicare
Biden got into an unusual back and forth with Republicans over whether GOP lawmakers want to end the automatic continuation of Social Security and Medicare.
When some vocally protested, Biden responded: “Anyone who doubts it, contact my office. I’ll give you a copy of the proposal.”
When the protests continued, Biden said he wasn’t arguing that all Republicans back reviewing entitlement programs every five years.
“But it’s being proposed,” he said.
– Maureen Groppe
Medicare debate:How Medicare and Social Security benefits factor into the Kevin McCarthy debt ceiling fight
Cheers and boos for Biden
Progressive members of the House, known as “the Squad,” cheered as President Joe Biden pushed for fair taxes and called out low tax rates for billionaires.
“You tell ‘em, Joe,” said Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
He also had plenty of jeers from the Republican side of the chamber when he slammed former President Donald Trump’s fiscal record and accused the House GOP of trying to cut Social Security and Medicare. The latter attracted loud boos.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stood up and yelled, “Liar!” from the back of the chamber.
– Candy Woodall
Talkative Biden:On average, Biden is most talkative president in six decades of State of Union addresses
Biden repeats call for ‘billionaire’s tax’
Biden used his speech to call again for Congress to pass a so-called “billionaire’s tax,” saying some of the biggest corporations in the country are raking in billions of dollars in profits but paying no federal income taxes.
“That’s simply not fair,” he said.
Biden did not spell out the specifics of his proposal. But in the past, he has called for a 20% levy on households with a net worth of more than $100 million.
– Michael Collins
What are the tax brackets?:What are the 2022 US federal tax brackets? What are the new 2023 tax brackets? Answers here
Biden calls climate crisis ‘an existential threat’
Biden said “the climate crisis doesn’t care if you’re in a red or blue state” as he touted his administration’s work to take on what he called “an existential threat.”
He pointed to the Inflation Reduction Act, which included the largest climate package ever, and investments from his infrastructure law.
He later went off-script, saying, “We’re still going to need oil and gas for a while.”
– Joey Garrison
UN Secretary-General::‘No more baby steps’ on climate change
Biden to Congress: Continue insurance subsidies that lowered uninsured rates
Biden celebrated the fact that a record number of Americans have health insurance while calling on Congress to continue expanded insurance subsidies that helped boost that rate.
Those enhanced subsidies for people who purchase insurance on their own, instead of getting coverage from the government or an employer, expire after 2025.
“Let’s finish the job and make the savings permanent,” Biden said as he also called for extending expanded Medicaid coverage to all states.
– Maureen Groppe
Biden takes made in America a step further
Biden touted American manufacturing gains and a campaign promise to move more production to the U.S. from foreign countries. Biden then announced, “new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America.”
“American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables,” he said. “And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.”
Biden’s message echoes former President Donald Trump’s prior State of the Union addresses where he boasted about initiatives to bring back manufacturing jobs that have been lost over the years.
– Elisabeth Buchwald
Insulin costs:Medicare caps insulin costs at $35 a month. Can Biden get that price for all Americans?
Biden touts legislative victories in infrastructure and manufacturing
Biden championed his series of legislative victories that ranged from tackling the country’s supply chain shortage and sweeping investments in domestic manufacturing and infrastructure.
“We’re gonna make sure the supply chain for America begins in America,” Biden said, touting a bipartisan bill he signed that made investments to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.
“To maintain the strongest economy in the world, we need the best infrastructure in the world,” said Biden, pointing to the bipartisan infrastructure bill. “Folks, we’re just getting started.”
– Ken Tran
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Biden appeals to middle and working class people on manufacturing
In an appeal to middle class and working class people, Biden said he ran for president “to make sure the economy works for everyone” so that everyone can have pride in what they do for a living.
“For decades, the middle class was hollowed out,” he said. “Too many good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas. Factories at home closed down. Once-thriving cities and towns that many of you represent became shadows of what they used to be.”
Biden then spoke about his administration’s accomplishments in the manufacturing sector.
– Erin Mansfield
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Biden: ‘COVID no longer controls our lives’
Biden said the nation’s economy is roaring back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much,” he said. “Today, COVID no longer controls our lives.”
Biden said his administration has created 12 million jobs, “more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four.”
– Michael Collins
A full House – literally – for State of the Union
President Joe Biden entered a full House chamber Tuesday.
The capacity crowd included House and Senate members, current and former Supreme Court justices, family and honored guests.
Biden’s first words were met with a standing ovation, as he honored Republican and Democratic leaders – but also as he described the state of the union.
The applause came from Democrats and Republicans, and the standing ovations were sometimes led by a row of powerful Senate moderates, including Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Kyrsten Sinema, who recently changed her party affiliation to independent.
– Candy Woodall
Biden: Pelosi is ‘greatest speaker’ ever
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn’t sitting behind Biden for his address but she got a special call-out from the president anyway.
“I want to give special recognition to someone who I think will be considered the greatest speaker in the history of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi,” Biden said.
Pelosi stepped down from Democratic leadership after the midterm elections. Biden also congratulated her successor, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black American to be House minority leader.
– Maureen Groppe
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Biden begins speech telling McCarthy he looks forward to ‘working together’
Biden began his remarks congratulating Kevin McCarthy, the new Republican House speaker, and saying he looks forward to “working together.”
Biden also congratulated Democratic Leader Hakeem Jefferies, the first African American man to lead a party, and gave shout outs to Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“The story of America is a story of progress and resilience. Of always moving forward. Of never giving up,” Biden said.
– Joey Garrison
Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is designated survivor for 2023 State of the Union
Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is the designated survivor for this year’s State of the Union address.
Every year, a top government official is chosen as the “designated survivor” as a way to maintain the presidential line of succession in case of a catastrophic event where multiple officials in the line are unable to assume office.
– Ken Tran
Marty Walsh:Former Boston mayor Marty Walsh stepping down as Biden Labor Secretary for job with NHL union
Bono is at the State of the Union
Bono, the Irish lead singer of U2, is attending the State of the Union as a guest of first lady Jill Biden.
Bono is a longtime social justice advocate who co-founded the nonprofit ONE Campaign to address poverty and preventable diseases and Prouct RED to address HIV and AIDS in Africa.
He’s sitting next to Paul Pelosi, husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
– Erin Mansfield
What is fentanyl poisoning?:These State of the Union guests lost their son to it
2 Californians will sit behind Biden
Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy may not share a political party. But they do have something in common. Both are from California.
That gave them at least one thing to talk about as they stood on the rostrum, waiting for Biden’s speech to begin.
– Maureen Groppe
Biden gets a Supreme Court majority for speech, if not policies
At least for tonight, President Joe Biden landed a majority of the Supreme Court.
Five sitting Supreme Court justices stepped into the House chamber before the president’s remarks: Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
That’s a decent turnout for an event some current and former justices have derided as a “political pep rally” and a “childish spectacle.”
Whether the president can cobble together a majority for any of his policies pending at the court – on immigration, student loan debt relief or environmental rules – remains to be seen.
– John Fritze
Biden to get bipartisan escort into House chamber
Biden will be escorted into the House chamber by a bipartisan group of House and Senate officials, including Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
–Michael Collins
Face masks uncommon as pre-pandemic normality returns
Few lawmakers were wearing face masks as they filed onto the House floor for Biden’s State of the Union speech.
And unlike last year, members of Congress were allowed to bring guests, a return to pre-pandemic normality.
“Today, COVID no longer controls our lives,” Biden will declare, according to speech excerpts the White House released in advance.
– Maureen Groppe
State of the economy:A look at economy’s strengths, weaknesses as Biden sets to boast of record job growth in State of Union
Biden arrives at Capitol
Biden’s motorcade arrived at the Capitol at 8:40 p.m. ahead of his 9 p.m. State of the Union speech.
“Great shape, getting better,” Biden said when a reporter asked him, “What’s the state of the union?” before he departed the White House.
– Joey Garrison
5 big questions for Biden’s speech:Is he running? 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union
Poll: Republicans want GOP leaders to ‘stand up’ to Biden
If Biden doesn’t find a receptive audience to his call for the two parties to work together, Republican voters could be the reason.
Most Republicans (64%) want GOP congressional leaders to “stand up” to Biden on matters important to GOP, even if that makes it harder to address critical problems facing the country, according to recent polling from the Pew Research Center.
And more are concerned that GOP lawmakers won’t focus enough on investigating the administration than the share worried that they will focus too much on investigations.
– Maureen Groppe
State of the Union guests:Lawmakers highlight policing, abortion, wrongful imprisonment
Biden approval rating hovering in low 40s ahead of speech
Biden’s second State of the Union address Tuesday comes as he remains under water politically, with more than half of voters disapproving of his job performance, according to most polls.
A Washington Post-ABC poll released this week found 42% of voters approve of Biden’s job performance, while 53% disapprove. That closely matches the FiveThirtyEight average of polls.
Biden’s job performance has stayed below since August 2021 in most polls. Even more troubling for Biden, most Americans can’t identify his achievements. Sixty-two percent of Americans said Biden has accomplished “not very much” or “little or nothing,” in the same Washington Post-ABC News poll, while only 36% said he has accomplished “a great deal” or “a good amount.”
– Joey Garrison
What to watch for:The State of the Union is Tuesday: Here’s what you can expect from Joe Biden’s speech
Vice President Kamala Harris chats with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy ahead of speech
Vice President Kamala Harris shook hands with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and the two chatted, as they stood behind the rostrum waiting for Biden to enter the House chamber.
This will be the first State of the Union with McCarthy as speaker since Republicans took control of the House during the midterm elections.
– Joey Garrison
Biden heads to the Capitol
Biden left the White House at 8:30 p.m. en route to the Capitol. Vice President Kamala Harris arrived ahead of him along with the majority of his Cabinet.
– Elisabeth Buchwald
Paul Pelosi arrives at State of the Union
Paul Pelosi, the 82-year-old husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, arrived at the State of the Union about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
This marks his first visit to a joint session of Congress since a video release of a brutal October attack that left him with head and hand injuries requiring surgery.
– Candy Woodall
Lawmakers arrive for State of the Union
If handshakes across the aisle are any reliable indication, there was a hint of bipartisanship in the air as lawmakers arrived for President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union before a divided Congress.
There was also the smell of cigars in the House gallery hallways on the third floor, a sign of the changing guard and new House rules.
Several guests and congresswomen were wearing white, as a nod to the suffragettes. That included Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who despite earlier posts did not bring a white balloon into the chamber to troll Biden about what she describes as a delayed response in taking down the Chinese spy balloon.
– Candy Woodall
Biden traveling to Wisconsin and Florida after speech
Biden administration officials will hit the road this week, holding events in at least 20 states to highlight parts of the president’s message.
Biden himself will talk about his economic agenda in Wisconsin Wednesday and will discuss Social Security and Medicare in Florida Thursday.
Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to Georgia and Minnesota. Multiple other cabinet members are also fanning out across the country.
– Maureen Groppe
How would Biden’s billionaire tax work?
Tonight Biden will resurface his plan to levy more taxes on the ultra-wealthy. But how would that work?
Under the current tax system, you don’t have to pay taxes on assets like stocks, homes and artwork that can appreciate over time until you sell it. But if you hold onto them until you die, you won’t have to pay any taxes. And on top of that, heirs that inherit your assets won’t have to pay taxes if they sell them.
The Biden Administration refers to this as a tax loophole, as billionaires benefit the most since they’re more likely than working-class Americans to get compensated via stocks or other assets that appreciate over time or inherit them.
To end the practice, Biden is proposing “minimum income tax” on American households worth more than $100 million. His plan calls for the wealthiest Americans to pay a tax rate of at least 20% on their full income, including unrealized gains from assets that have increased in value since their purchase.
– Elisabeth Buchwald
Taxing billionaires:Should the wealthy pay taxes on expensive art and wine? Joe Biden thinks so. Here’s how it would work
Ocasio-Cortez lays out expectations for Biden’s speech, working with Republicans
Ahead of Biden’s address, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D.-N.Y., said she’s hoping to “hear a really strong vision” from Biden and explained how Democrats and Republicans could find common ground after the GOP gained control of the House during the midterm elections.
The New York lawmaker told CNN she hopes to hear “about not just what we’ve done so far, but also our plans on executing on the enormous bills and successes that we’ve had in the last one to two years,” saying “There still is implementation and execution on these plans to address our priorities around climate, taxing the rich and so much more.”
– Marina Pitofsky
Biden’s ‘finish the job’ call in State of the Union echoes FDR
Historian Michael Beschloss hears echoes of Franklin D. Roosevelt in Biden’s State of the Union address.
Biden will call on Republicans to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the country, according to excerpts of the speech released by the White House.
“Finish the job” was used as a rationale for FDR’s reelection, Beschloss tweeted about the phrase’s historical lineage. It was also a slogan for the World War I effort. And in a famous radio address during World War II, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill vowed to “finish the job.”
At the start of Biden’s administration, many comparisons – not all of them favorable – were made between the size and scope of Biden’s ambitions, Roosevelt’s programs and the World War II spending that lifted the nation out of the Great Depression.
– Maureen Groppe
Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Biden is more interested in ‘woke fantasies’ than concerns of everyday Americans
In delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sander plans to attack Biden and the Democrats over a panoply of issues that include inflation, taxes, education and so-called “culture wars.”
“And while you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day,” Sanders plans to say, according to speech excerpts released by her office.
Another excerpt: “Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are under attack in a left-wing culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight.”
– David Jackson
State of the Union guests:Lawmakers highlight policing, abortion, wrongful imprisonment
How long does the State of the Union last? What it will take for Biden to set a SOTU record
Biden’s first State of the Union address in 2022 was somewhere between the longest and shortest speeches ever given, according to The American Presidency Project. Will he keep his second address tonight short and sweet, or will he be long-winded?
If he intendeds to break the record for the shortest speech ever, he’d have it keep it under 28 minutes and 55 seconds. That was the time Richard Nixon took to deliver his address in 1972. To beat the longest address ever, he’d have to outdo his fellow Democrat former President Bill Clinton, who went on for 1 hour, 28 minutes and 40 seconds for his final State of the Union speech in 2000. Clinton also claims the spot for the second longest address, clocking in at 1 hour, 24 minutes and 58 seconds in 1995.
– Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy
Biden to promise investment in ‘places and people that have been forgotten’
Biden will spend part of his address promoting his economic plan and assuring Americans that he wants to invest in “places and people that have been forgotten.”
Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible, he will say, according to excerpts of the speech released by the White House.
“Maybe that’s you watching at home,” Biden will say. “You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away. I get it. That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives.”
– Michael Collins
Biden to praise recovery from Jan. 6 riot, COVID
President Joe Biden will say “the story of America is a story of progress and resilience” in his State of the Union address as he touts a rebounding economy, COVID-19 recovery and democracy that survived the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack, according to excerpts of the speech provided by the White House.
Biden will tout 12 million new jobs created under his presidency – many that came back following the pandemic – to claim economic progress. And he will reflect on a period two years ago when businesses and schools closed at the height of the pandemic.
“Today, COVID no longer controls our lives,” Biden plans to say. “And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken.”
– Joey Garrison
Biden to ask Republicans to work with him in SOTU speech
President Joe Biden will make a plea to Republicans in Congress to work with him. He said after the November elections that Americans sent a divided Congress to Washington because they want them to work together.
“The people sent us a clear message,” Biden will say, according to excerpts released from the White House. “Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.”
– Erin Mansfield
Why Sen. Patty Murray and other lawmakers will be wearing crayons at State of the Union
Washington Sen. Patty Murray and some of her Democratic colleagues will be wearing crayon pins to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday to signal their support for greater investments in child care. Such care now costs more than $10,000 a year on average, and roughly half of Americans live in a child care desert. Insufficient child care takes a toll on America’s economy, recent research shows, costing taxpayers $122 billion annually.
Partisan gridlock has prevented progress on major child care reforms, such as Murray’s Child Care for Working Families Act, which would generally cap child care expenses at 7% of a family’s household income. Biden, who alluded to that cap in his last State of the Union, has also struggled to gain traction on his child care proposals.
– Alia Wong
Lawmakers to highlight key social issues through guests
Tuesday night’s State of the Union address will be the first year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic where lawmakers are allowed to bring their own guests. As part of tradition, lawmakers tend to invite guests that draw attention to issues important to them.
Several Democratic lawmakers have invited guests to champion abortion access such as Roslyn Roger Collins, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Metropolitan New Jersey, who will attend the address alongside Rep. Bob Mendendez, D-N.J., according to Planned Parenthood.
In the wake of the brutal beating and subsequent death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, members of the Congressional Black Caucus are bringing guests who have been impacted by police violence. House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has invited Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died at the hands of a New York police officer in 2014.
– Christine Fernando and Ken Tran
Republican response: Sarah Huckabee Sanders follows in historic footsteps with her State of the Union response
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the first former White House press secretary to deliver a formal State of the Union response – she is not, however, the first governor of Arkansas to do the honors.
Back in 1985, the Democrats picked a young governor of Arkansas to deliver their response to President Ronald Reagan.
His name? Bill Clinton … then-future President Bill Clinton.
Sanders will give the Republican rebuttal after Biden’s speech.
– David Jackson
5 big questions for the SOTU:Is he running? 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union
Biden and China: Spy balloon likely to be addressed
The speech is a chance for Biden to respond to those who have criticized how he handled the suspected Chinese spy balloon that drifted over the United States last week – and to send a public message to China. Republicans have accused Biden of showing weakness by not shooting down the balloon sooner.
Tensions have been rising with China, which the U.S. considers its biggest strategic and economic competitor. The nations have clashed over Taiwan, technology, human rights, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other disputes.
The Biden administration has been trying to stabilize the relationship, building what it’s called “guardrails” as it normalizes interaction. But one effort to do that – sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China – was postponed because of the balloon incident.
– Maureen Groppe and Michael Collins
Intel chair: China balloon flew over nuke sites
Biden to lay out ‘forceful approach’ to combatting fentanyl
The Biden administration will launch a national campaign to educate young people on the dangers of fentanyl, part of the “forceful approach” for going after fentanyl trafficking and reducing overdose deaths.
Other steps include:
- Using new large-scale scanners to improve efforts to stop fentanyl from being brought into the U.S. through the southern border.
- Working with package delivery companies to catch more packages containing fentanyl from being shipped around the country.
- Working with Congress to make permanent a temporary tool that that’s helped federal agents crack down on drugs chemically similar to fentanyl.
– Maureen Groppe
5 big questions on Biden’s speech:Is he running? 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union
Biden to plug job market as recession looms
President Joe Biden is expected to take credit for a booming job market and easing inflation when he speaks to the nation Tuesday night.
But he’ll likely leave out a litany of trouble spots, including a slumping housing market, a monthslong manufacturing downturn and elevated recession risk this year. Meanwhile, inflation is still high and economists pin at least some of the blame on Biden for showering Americans with cash in early 2021 while the economy was already healing.
– Paul Davidson
State of the economy:A look at economy’s strengths, weaknesses as Biden sets to boast of record job growth in State of Union
Who is Sarah Huckabee Sanders? Arkansas governor to giver Republican response to Biden’s State of the Union address
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, one-time White House press secretary for former President Trump and current governor of Arkansas, will deliver the Republican rebuttal to Biden’s State of the Union address tonight.
Sanders, the youngest governor in the U.S., hails from a prominent political family. Her father Mike Huckabee was the 44th governor of Arkansas, serving from 1996 to 2007 before launching an unsuccessful presidential bid during the 2008 election. The younger Sanders has since cut out her own place in GOP politics, emerging as one of the more high-profile members of the Trump administration.
– Anna Kaufman
Bono, Tyre Nichols’ family members among guests sitting with first lady Jill Biden Tuesday night
The lead singer for the rock group U2, Bono, and Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, are among the White House guests attending President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday.
Guests are chosen to highlight themes of the president’s speech or because they represent his policy initiatives.
Bono is the cofounder of the ONE campaign to fight poverty and preventable diseases, and (RED), which fights HIV/AIDS in Africa. Other guests who will be sitting with first lady Jill Biden during the speech include:
- The mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man who died after being beaten by Memphis police officers.
- Brandon Tsay, the man who disarmed the Monterey Park gunman who killed 11 people and injured 10 others during a Lunar New Year celebration.
- A Texas woman who almost died because doctors were concerned that intervening when her pregnancy ran into difficulties would violate the state’s abortion ban.
- One of the Massachusetts same-sex couples who sued the state for the right to marry in 2001.
– Maureen Groppe
What to expect from tonight’s speech:Here’s what you can expect from Joe Biden’s speech
Biden’s speech comes amid job gains
One accomplishment Biden is sure to bring up tonight is the level of job gains under his presidency. Since he took office the unemployment rate went from 6.3% to 3.4%, per the latest jobs data.
Despite recession fears and massive tech layoffs, U.S. employers added 517,000 new jobs last month, well exceeding economists’ expectations of around 180,000 new jobs.
The blowout jobs report paved the way for the Federal Reserve to pass more rate hikes aimed at lowering inflation, Fed Chairman Powell said in remarks he delivered earlier today. But the rate hikes could push the economy closer to a recession, which the central bank has avoided so far.
– Elisabeth Buchwald
Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan remains stalled
Biden has yet to fulfill his campaign promise of canceling at least $10,000 in student loan debt. Last year he unveiled a plan to make good on his promise.
However the plan is being stalled by legal challenges. Six states – Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina – formed a coalition to fight the proposal. They argue that canceling student loan debt extends beyond the administration’s legal authority.
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments for the case later this month. The Biden administration claims it is well within their legal realm to proceed with its plan. It cannot do so unless the Court rules in its favor, however.
– Elisabeth Buchwald
Stock market under Biden
Since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 10%. Last year the index fell into a bear market, meaning it dropped 20% below a market peak set last January.
During former President Donald Trump’s time in office, the Dow gained 56%. That represents an annualized gain of close to 12%, one of the best stock market performances under a Republican president according to data from LPL Financial.
– Elisabeth Buchwald
What time is the State of the Union speech tonight?
Biden’s State of the Union speech is Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.
How to stream the SOTU
The speech will be livestreamed by USA TODAY.
Who is the designated survivor tonight?
The State of the Union address, delivered to a joint session of Congress and a crowd that includes all nine Supreme Court justices, poses a unique scenario in which every key member of the nation’s leadership is in one room.
That makes it both a momentous affair, and a significant national security risk. For this reason, each year one member of the president’s Cabinet dubbed the “designated survivor” hangs back.
The practice dates back to the Cold War, during which fears of a Soviet Nuclear attack abounded and a fresh urgency surrounded protocols for the order of presidential succession. The designated survivor for 2023 has not yet been announced, but heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Energy have most frequently been chosen.
– Anna Kaufman
What channel is the State of the Union on?
The major TV networks and other news outlets, such as Fox News, MSNBC, CNN and PBS, are providing live coverage of the address.
What is the State of the Union address?
The State of the Union address isn’t just a tradition in the nation’s capital. It’s rooted in the Constitution.
Article II of the Constitution says the president shall “from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.”
That doesn’t mean the president has to give a speech – as they often do today.
“From that very general mandate in the Constitution has evolved into what we recognize today as a yearly event, with lots of pomp and circumstance,” Claire Jerry, a curator of political history at the National Museum of American History, told USA TODAY.
– Marina Pitofsky
When did the annual message become known as State of the Union address?
From 1790 to 1946, the speech delivered by the president to Congress was known simply as the “Annual Message.”
In 1947 is became the ‘State of the Union’ and has since been referred to by that name.
– Anna Kaufman
What is the origin of the state of the union address?
Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution states that the president will “give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
This language birthed the practice, allowing the executive to deliver to a joint session of Congress and the American people.
In the modern era, the speech has become a vehicle for administrations to roll out their policy priorities for the coming year and spotlight key agenda issues.
– Anna Kaufman
