Civic Register
| 3.1.22
Watch & Comment: President Joe Biden Delivers State of the Union Address
How do you feel about Biden’s speech?
Biden Delivers State of the Union Address
- President Joe Biden delivered his state of the union address to a joint session of Congress from the House chamber Tuesday night, which ran for 61 minutes and 51 seconds.
- It was the first official state of the union address of his presidency after he delivered the traditional address to a joint session of Congress last year that newly-inaugurated presidents give during their first year in office. Biden discussed domestic and foreign policy initiatives for his administration in the year ahead.
- A preview of his remarks and excerpts of his speech as delivered can be found below.
Speech Preview
- Advance excerpts of the speech indicated that on the domestic front, he would likely touch on the threat posed by inflation to the economy, the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and Democrats’ spending plans in Congress ― though he wasn’t expected to refer to the stalled Build Back Better bill that Democrats have been unable to reach a consensus on.
- In terms of foreign policy, Biden was expected to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the response to it by the U.S. and its allies. It’s unclear whether he will discuss the withdrawal from Afghanistan or efforts to evacuate American citizens, legal permanent residents, and Afghan allies who were promised an opportunity to come to the U.S. but remain in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
- There will be less restrictions on attendance by lawmakers due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year like there were last year when Biden addressed the joint session of Congress, but the House chamber isn't expected to be as full as it has been traditionally in the past. The House’s attending physician also lifted the chamber’s mask mandate, so lawmakers and other attendees can be maskless if they so choose. Attendees were required to undergo a COVID-19 test beforehand.
Key Quotes From Biden's Speech
- Biden began by introducing one his special guests, the Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., who was in attendance with First Lady Jill Biden and received a standing ovation from the chamber. The president reiterated condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his “premeditated and unprovoked” invasion of Ukraine, and offered praise for the Ukrainian people’s will to fight for their freedom:
“And we remain clear-eyed. The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage. But the next few days weeks, months, will be hard on them. Putin has unleashed violence and chaos. But while he may make gains on the battlefield – he will pay a continuing high price over the long run. And a proud Ukrainian people, who have known 30 years of independence, have repeatedly shown that they will not tolerate anyone who tries to take their country backwards.”
- To blunt rising energy prices, which are partially due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but were increasing prior to that, Biden said he will release 30 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, an amount equal to about one and a half days worth of oil consumption in the U.S. He added that "we stand to do more if necessary, unified with our allies" who are releasing an additional 30 million barrels of oil.
- Biden touted the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, which Democrats passed along party-lines using the reconciliation process in 2021, and took a shot at Republicans’ Tax Cuts and Jobs Act from 2017, eliciting the first partisan reaction of the evening:
“Few pieces of legislation have done more in a critical moment in our history to lift us out of crisis. It fueled our efforts to vaccinate the nation and combat COVID-19. It delivered immediate economic relief for tens of millions of Americans. Helped put food on their table, keep a roof over their heads, and cut the cost of health insurance. And as my Dad used to say, it gave people a little breathing room. And unlike the $2 Trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefitted the top 1% of Americans, the American Rescue Plan helped working people—and left no one behind.”
- Biden praised the enactment of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and thanked the lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who helped get it through Congress:
“Now our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world. We won’t be able to compete for the jobs of the 21st Century if we don’t fix that. That’s why it was so important to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—the most sweeping investment to rebuild America in history. This was a bipartisan effort, and I want to thank the members of both parties who worked to make it happen. We’re done talking about infrastructure weeks. We’re going to have an infrastructure decade.”
- Biden said that inflation, which has been at a 40-year high in recent months, is “robbing” families of the gains they might otherwise feel and said his “top priority” is getting prices under control. To that end, he urged businesses to reduce their costs instead of wages and to make more products in America:
“One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I have a better plan to fight inflation. Lower your costs, not your wages. 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.”
- Biden renewed his call for the Senate to pass Democrats’ election reform bills, which are stalled in the chamber because they lack the 60 votes needed to overcome the legislative filibuster. Biden stopped short of repeating his call for the chamber to use the “nuclear option” to end the filibuster, but said state laws are threatening the right to vote:
“The most fundamental right in America is the right to vote – and to have it counted. And it’s under assault. In state after state, new laws have been passed, not only to suppress the vote, but to subvert entire elections. We cannot let this happen. Tonight. I call on the Senate to: Pass the Freedom to Vote Act. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. And while you’re at it, pass the Disclose Act so Americans can know who is funding our elections.”
Iowa Governor to Deliver GOP Response
- Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA) is expected to deliver the Republican Party’s response to Biden’s state of the union address, which will likely begin about five minutes after Biden concludes his remarks. She has been serving as governor since 2017 and will be speaking from Des Moines, Iowa.
- Per advance excerpts of her remarks, Reynolds is expected to outline how the Republican Party’s policy contrasts with Biden’s. Specifically, she’s likely to address the president’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the impact of inflation on the U.S. economy, and the importance of keeping schools open and empowering parents in education policy.
- Typically, the response to the state of the union address is considerably shorter than the president’s remarks.
This article may be updated with excerpts of Reynolds’s remarks.
— Eric Revell
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Worst clown in office ever. Was not honestly elected either. Sham and a shut show this administration is. Go Brandon!!
Very good state of the union speech. Covered all bases for our country and laid out the need to assist Ukraine in a clear and concise way.
He did a great GREAT job!
What a bunch of crap! Nothing new same old same old! meanwhile gas is $4.00 Gal. food is outrageous if you can find what you want. And old sleep Joe is going to end up helping Putin put an end to Ukraine. I am so disappointed in our leaders they have no ability to do anything . This is the most gutless administration I can ever remember and it all started with Obama. Welcome to the New World I hope you like it and I hope this is what you wanted for your children!
I was not able to listen to Biden’s State-of-the-Union address. I picked up some of the summaries later. Sounds like he did a great job, spoke to the people and not at them. So refreshing to have a President that actually says something with content and meaning instead of blubbering about how great he is . … … … I did catch a poll afterwards that really disturbed me. 64% said that inflation was more important than the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Russian attack on Ukraine is an attack on the concept of a western democracy. Ukraine has had their problems getting it to work properly. Greed in our country is currently screwing up our democracy, But Ukraine is trying to do ‘democracy’ the way it should be done - and that is the reason for Putin’s attack; the Ukrainian people are too close demographically and physically to Russians and pose a threat to the Russia’s autocratic kleptocracy. … … … Putin’s desire to put so many boots on the ground in order to eventually overwhelm the much less well equipped Ukrainian populace, firing anti-personnel cluster bombs into residential areas, violating Russian signed treaties with Ukraine and more - all of this is a threat to the world and to democracies everywhere. Once ‘might-makes-right’ becomes the norm there will be no international law or order beyond the biggest bully’s desires. … … … Inflation is a near term problem which will eventually work itself out. The sacrifice of established world order and threat to democratic government everywhere would be much harder and take much longer to self-correct, if it could be corrected. … … … I am disappointed in the poll results because it shows me that so much of our country is so focused on short term issues that they cannot even think of the long term issues that will destroy them. Just think if our earliest settlers were so focused on their summer food stock that they did not bother to store food for the hard winter which they knew would be coming. It they were so short term focused most of us would not be here today.
What can brain dead say?
What a traitorous, incompetent shell of a schill! Despicable Joe will destroy this country before the end of his first term, as our worst enemies line up to destroy America. I’ve never been more outraged, offended, ashamed of this country than in this year, and it’s only getting worse! The Biden/Harris ticket is the absolute worst governance I’ve ever been forced to endure or experience. God help us!
Joe Biden was outstanding. He is a man of his word and he is doing his job with dignity, honor and a historical experience that most do not have. Go Joe! You're just the guy we need!
Needed more actions on fighting inflation and dealing with climate change. Would liked to have heard a real push to eliminate dark money, which is one of the main causes of corruption in politics. Biden may not be the best orator, but it’s nice to hear someone who cares about the country when compared with the Putin-loving fascist that preceded him.
I thank jimK for posting his thoughts so that I can share them with you. Yesterday at 5:02 AM ··· I was not able to listen to Biden’s State-of-the-Union address. I picked up some of the summaries later. Sounds like he did a great job, spoke to the people and not at them. So refreshing to have a President that actually says something with content and meaning instead of blubbering about how great he is . … … … I did catch a poll afterwards that really disturbed me. 64% said that inflation was more important than the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Russian attack on Ukraine is an attack on the concept of a western democracy. Ukraine has had their problems getting it to work properly Greed in our country is currently screwing up our democracy, But Ukraine is trying to do ‘democracy’ the way it should be done - and that is the reason for Putin’s attack; the Ukrainian people are too close demographically and physically to Russians and pose a threat to the Russia’s autocratic kleptocracy. … … … Putin’s desire to put so many boots on the ground to eventually overwhelm the much less well equipped Ukrainian populace, firing anti-personnel cluster bombs into residential areas, violating Russian signed treaties with Ukraine and more - all of this is a threat to the world and to democracies everywhere. Once ‘might-makes-right’ becomes the norm there will be no international law or order beyond the biggest bully’s desires. … … … Inflation is a near term problem which will eventually work itself out. The sacrifice on established world order and threat to democratic government everywhere would be much harder and take much longer to self-correct if it could be corrected. … … … I am disappointed in the poll results because it shows me that so much of our country is so focused on short term issues that they cannot even think of the long term issues that will destroy them. Just think of our earliest settlers were so focused on their summer food stock that they did not bother to store food for the hard winter that they knew would be coming. It they were so short term focused most of us would not be here today.
BREAKING: in a court filing Wednesday night, the January 6 committee reported: “The Select Committee…has a good-faith basis for concluding that the President and members of his Campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States.” Via POLITICO.
He’s such a corporate tool.
The state of the union is sad right now and has been for almost 12 years. When people on both sides can’t accept and election be use their candidate of choice loss, that’s a sad day for democracy. When you have to riot in streets cause your candidate lost, sad. When you have to storm a capital because your candidate lost, sad. When both sides of the aisle would rather fight with each other and just vote against bills because the other side presented them, sad. When you tear up a SOtU address cause you don’t like the president, when you heckle a president during his SOTU address, your just sad and don’t deserve to be in office. When you support questioning if a president was born here, even though he has to prove it to run, with no proof other than someone said it, sad. We used to argue points and counter points, not scream and threaten eachother. We used to watch our government come together and pass laws that helped the workers achieve that American dream, not be spiteful babies because their party lost an election. We used to be able to debate things without attacking the person. Have conversations at dinner tables and be able to disagree with each other and still love and care for one another. We used to agree that hate groups and white supremacists were evil, not watch as elected officials spoke at their rallies and gatherings. This country is and has been falling apart and it’s not one party that is to blame. It’s both. It’s all of us. Period. I’ve had “friends” walk away and stop taking to me just because of who I voted for, or because I didn’t agree with them. It’s craziness. I have never done that to anyone I care about. Ever. I wouldn’t.
Exactly what was needed at this time. Biden seized the moment emotionally, psychologically and intellectually to unify and bring respect and dignity back to the office of President by leading
Good grief, anyone that found that uplifting or encouraging has some deeper issues. Among the many lies Joe read from the teleprompter, and there were many, was the credit he took for creating 6.5 million jobs. Created! If you believe that old illegit Joe created 500,000 new jobs per month since taking office, you are categorically delusional. And for the lefties that are screeching about the absence of Republicans from the carnival - where were you during 2016-2020 while Dimocrats were equally if not more disrespectful of an election outcome and presidency? Hypocrites.
I’m sure it was worthwhile… not.
Validating @TheDarkSide's Comment: Jan. 6 Committee: Trump Broke Several Laws in Bid to Overturn Election - Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/donald-trump-january-6-election-house-select-committee-findings-1315639/
Re: Boebert & Greene Heckling Two Trolls for Trumpism pandering to the deplorable souls on the Far Right. Reminded me of intoxicated teenaged girls. Whatever.
For all those who did not like Boebert’s outburst and would like to see her replaced. Sol Sandoval is running an impressive campaign to unseat Boebert, but she needs help to grow her base. Colorado Congressional District 3 is huge and it will take hundreds of volunteers to unseat Trumpian Lauren Boebert. Please consider helping to restore law and order to Colorado Congressional District 3 Lives of kids depend on a strong progressive lawmaker with a coherent vision of hope for working families in rural communities winning the primary election. And it would mean the world to me personally if my Countable/Causes community of friends were willing to help bring hope to my community. https://www.sandovalforcolorado.com
I will continue to support and vote for Biden, but please can someone find him better speech writers? This speech should have been heavy with historical significance. More inspiring and everlasting. So much is on the line. There were many missed opportunities to make the case for democracy everywhere; and to summarize his historic domestic accomplishments since taking office. The only issue right now is inflation and that was 100% predictable when Trump did not act on COVID or focus on the middle class and infrastructure!