What Happened:
The United States government gathered in the capital to listen to President Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday. This was an important speech for Biden, as it needed to detail his previous success and lay out the future for his campaign against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
The speech consisted of a long list of policies, some that have passed, others that have been stalled. Some key focuses were healthcare, foreign aid, immigration, and voter rights. Republican’s in the room also received a beating as Biden took multiple opportunities to attack President Trump as well as Republican policies throughout his speech.
The Details:
The evening started out with chants of “4 more years” erupting from Democrat’s as President Biden entered the chamber. The speech started with concerns about Ukraine funding and Biden promising to keep American troops out. Soon after, he took an opportunity to bash Republican’s about January 6, stating, “You can’t love your country only when you win.” Following this, he reinforced the importance of free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power.
Next he mentioned the highly unpopular IVF decision as a consequence of Roe v. Wade and a promise to return it as “the law of the land.”. He took the opportunity to exclaim that women have electoral power and jabbed at Republican’s, stating, “You have no clue about the power of women.”
The next segment detailed some campaign points attacking former President Trump for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He claimed that Trump “failed in his duty to care” and that the American people have made the greatest comeback under Biden’s leadership, “Turning setbacks into comebacks, that’s what America does.” He followed this with economic points, mentioning that wages were up, inflation has fallen from 9% down to 3% and jobs have risen during his tenure.
Next, he mentioned the bipartisan infrastructure bill that introduced new projects across the country, including more access to the internet in rural communities, the removal of lead pipes, and $650 billion in private sector investments. He took an opportunity to mention the working class, claiming, “Wall Street didn’t build America, they’re not bad guys, they didn’t build it though, the middle class did.”
Drug prices were another important topic for Biden’s speech, as he mentioned that he wants to put a cap on drug prices so that they “are affordable for all Americans’.”. He mentioned that they are far cheaper in other countries with the same producers and shippers. He took credit for dropping insulin prices to $10 and then attacked Republicans for trying to repeal Obamacare policies that have given America “the largest number of insured people ever.”. He also promised to prevent cuts to Social Security and Medicaid.
The second half of his speech covers more controversial topics, starting with the border. Biden mentions that he “wont’ demonize immigrants or separate families” at the border. He then went on to say that they passed a “strong border bill” with “the toughest set of border security reforms we’ve ever seen.” That statement would draw some disapproval from the Republican’s in the room, but Biden taunted back, reminding them that conservatives voted for it. He was also heckled by Marjorie Taylor Greene, who yelled “say her name,” referring to the death of a college student named Laken Riley, who was killed by an alleged undocumented immigrant.
Nearing the end of the speech, he mentions what is perhaps the most uncomfortable subject for his administration, which is the Israel-Palestine conflict. Biden seemed to take the middle of the road by promising support for Israel but also mentioning the deaths of innocent Palestinians and the need for a two-state solution. He also mentioned plans to build a floating port near Gaza to ensure that humanitarian aid can pass through. He called on Israel to allow the aid workers safe and unhindered passage, and urged them to remember to not put humanitarian aid second. He also mentions the competition with China and reinforces the work that is being done to secure allies in the Pacific as well as lowering the trade deficit with China.
What’s Next:
The end of the speech would see Republican’s quickly shuffling out the door and Democrat’s swarming the president to congratulate him on a job well done. It seemed Biden was fired up and ready to bring on the fight for the next election. He took multiple opportunities to attack Trump’s policies as well as the Republican agenda.
It seems that the Democratic Party is happy with Biden, even though there are some strains with policies surrounding Gaza and Israel. Republican’s have begun to rally around Trump as endorsements flooded in after former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announced she was suspending her campaign.
The speech lasted a total of 68 minutes.
