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President Joe Biden waves as he delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress.
Biden: We must ‘finish the job’ of repairing US economy
President Joe Biden gave his second State of the Union address Tuesday night to a packed – and maskless – Congress. Seated behind him were VP Kamala Harris and newly tapped Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Much of the speech was dedicated to touting the administration’s legislative achievements over the past two years. That includes the CHIPS Act, aimed at boosting domestic chip manufacturing, and the wide-ranging bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act, which, contrary to the bill’s name, focused on addressing climate change and lowering drug prices. The president celebrated over 300 bipartisan bills passed under his watch.
Biden pitched voters on the resilience of the US economy, highlighting the five-decade-low unemployment rate and strong job growth. But the president also urged Congress to “finish the job” in several areas by lowering drug costs, making Affordable Care Act premium savings permanent, and passing his proposal for a billionaire minimum tax.
Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, heckled Biden as he called on them to raise the debt ceiling without preconditions to avoid a government default on its debt. Indeed, McCarthy shushing members of his own caucus as they shouted at the president over his take on the current debt ceiling crisis was yet another reminder that the Republicans may control the lower chamber, but they are far from united.
Foreign governments, meanwhile, were likely paying close attention when Biden reiterated his commitment to Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” as well as to the “Buy American Act,” which has been a cause of friction with several friends, including Canada and Mexico.
The overarching theme of the speech was about economic progress, with Biden warning that he won’t let the Republicans “take the economy hostage.” Only time will tell if the president’s message resonated with voters, including Dems, who have soured on their man in the White House in recent months.
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U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
Biden's State of the Union takes aim at Putin
President Joe Biden kicked off his first State of the Union address Tuesday night by condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and praising Ukrainians’ bravery in defending their country. He also vowed to inflict more pain on Russia, announcing that the US would join the EU and Canada in banning Russian aircraft from US airspace. Indeed, some have criticized the move, saying this makes it harder for Americans in Russia to leave, but the Biden administration says there are other routes available for reaching the US.
Moreover, Biden sought to reassure the American people, already disillusioned by record-high inflation, that punitive measures against Russia will be targeted and that he’ll work to protect American consumers and businesses. Acknowledging global fears about potential massive disruptions to gas and oil supplies, Biden announced that the US, along with dozens of allies, is working to release 60 million barrels of oil from global strategic reserves to reduce reliance on Russia’s stock. This has the potential to ease pressure on gas prices and reduce President Vladimir Putin’s leverage on the oil market.
Biden also took aim at China, noting that he warned his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, “never to bet against the American people.” He also reiterated the need to further invest in research and development at home in order to compete with Beijing’s advancements.
On the domestic front, Biden inched to the center, rebuffing the “defund the police” platform that has proven self-defeating for his Democratic party. He also emphasized his “Made in America” agenda and called for big reforms to the tax code.
Takeaway. Republicans in attendance joined the Democrats in applauding Biden's pronouncements on Russia and Ukraine.If nothing else, the United States, it appears, is strongly united against Vladimir Putin.
On foreign policy, Biden's heart in the right place but "clumsy", says journalist Robin Wright
Joe Biden came into office with enormous foreign policy experience, a sharp contrast from his predecessor. So far, however, The New Yorker's Robin Wright says "there has been a lot of clumsy behavior" on Afghanistan and more recently alienating allies with AUKUS, and Biden's people are good thinkers but neither brave nor bold. "It's a weak administration [whose] heart's in the right place," she explains, but it needs to come up with more and move faster. Watch her interview with Ian Bremmer on the latest episode of GZERO World.
Watch this episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: Biden's rocky start on foreign policy