Newsman: President Biden’s first formal State of the Union address focused on Ukraine, inflation, the coronavirus pandemic and a four-point “Unity Agenda.” Biden made mention of some progressive policy items, such as the need for robust voting-rights legislation and stood up for transgender and abortion rights. And he also touted some of his accomplishments of his first year, such as the COVID-19 relief bill and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The mood was more unified on Tuesday night. And that’s because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian blue and gold was a hard-to-miss symbol of unity in a deeply polarized Congress with lots of members donning blue-and-gold flags and lapel pins.
‘The state of the union is strong, because of you’: Biden concludes speech with optimistic outlook
Biden ended his State of the Union speech with an optimistic perspective.
“The State of the Union is strong, because you, the American people, are strong,” he said. “I know there is simply nothing beyond our capacity.”
Biden reiterated that America has turned every crisis it faced into an opportunity. He said he was confident the country would meet any new challenge that arises.
“We are stronger today than we were a year ago,” the president said. “And we will be stronger a year from now than we are today.”
President Biden, in his state of union address urged world unity in standing up to Russia, listed ways he’s trying to address rising prices (even if they will likely have limited to no effect in the short term) and offered an optimistic outlook about the end of the pandemic.
The president’s defiant tone on the crisis elicited several moments of bipartisan applause, something rare in this partisan age.
President got in his digs on Republicans too, while boasting of his first-year legislative accomplishments.
“Unlike the $2 trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefitted the top 1% of Americans,” Biden said, “the American Rescue Plan helped working people — and left no one behind. And it worked. It worked. It created jobs. Lots of jobs.”
Talking about the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Biden thanked Republicans who voted for it, but got this dig in on former President Donald Trump. “We’re done talking about infrastructure weeks,” he said. “We’re going to have an infrastructure decade.”
Biden said he authorized releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; he spoke out against price gouging; and he called for the confirmation of his Federal Reserve Board nominees. He also took a nationalistic turn, promoting making products in America.
“Lower your costs, not your wages,” he urged companies. “Make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation in America. More goods moving faster and cheaper in America. More jobs where you can earn a good living in America. And instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let’s make it in America.”
Because,traditionally, products made in the U.S. are more expensive because of the labor costs disparity between the U.S and other countries, such as China. Shipping costs are currently high, so there’s an argument that now is a good time to make a transition to making more at home.
He emphasized police funding again on Tuesday night.
“Let’s not abandon our streets – or choose between safety and equal justice,” Biden said, adding, “We should all agree: The answer is not to defund the police. The answer is to fund the police. Fund them with the resources and training they need to protect our communities.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert booed after she yells out at moment Biden mentions his dead son
In an ill-timed moment, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., shouted at the president, blaming him for the deaths of the 13 U.S. servicemembers killed in an attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan last summer, as Biden spoke about veterans exposed to burn pits developing “cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin.”
“You put them in, 13 of them!” she yelled.
But her words came out just as the president was about to mention the death of his son, Beau Biden, an Iraq War veteran who died from brain cancer in 2015.
“I know,” Biden began, attempting to reference Beau. But before he could get the sentence out Boebert shouted.
The members in the chamber immediately booed her.
“One of those soldiers was my son, Major Beau Biden,” the president continued. “I don’t know for sure if the burn pit that he lived near, that his hooch was near in Iraq and earlier than that, in Kosovo is the cause of his brain cancer, the diseases of so many other troops. But I am committed to finding out everything we can.”
Boebert later addressed the moment on Twitter, saying, “When Biden said flag draped coffins I couldn’t stay silent. I told him directly he did it. He put 13 in there. Our heroic servicemen and women deserve so much better.”
Biden called for people to get vaccinated, for children to get vaccinated, and for production and distribution of antiviral pills to protect vulnerable people. He also forcefully called for the country to get back to work, to “fill our downtowns” and to keep schools open.
Still, unlike in last July when he was close to declaring independence from the pandemic, only to be derailed by deadly variants, Biden said, “I cannot promise a new variant won’t come. But I can promise you we’ll do everything within our power to be ready if it does.”
On Wednesday, the White House announced a new roadmap for moving forward on the pandemic.
Biden tried to say he understands that inflation is pinching lots of Americans. “I grew up in a family where if the price of food went up, you felt it,” the president said, before pointing out that that’s why he pushed to pass the COVID-19 relief bill.
