Congress will convene tonight to listen as President Biden delivers his second State of the Union Address at the Capitol. With political, economic and social tensions running high across the nation, all eyes will be on the President to deliver a unifying speech. Here’s Anthony Slade with the story.
President Biden is preparing to address Congress tonight in D.C. for his second State of the Union Address since his inauguration in 2021. According to the White House website, his speech will expand his four-part Unity Agenda which will prioritize bipartisan efforts. These goals include finding a cure for cancer; honoring veterans; tackling the mental health crisis; and beating the opioid and overdose epidemic.
Todd Belt, professor and director of political management at George Washington University, sees the address as an opportunity for Biden to appeal to both sides of the aisle.
TODD BELT: The State of the Union is a very significant event for the president because it allows the president to really set his legislative agenda with Congress. It allows him to tell members of the House and the Senate, his is what I’d like to see passed.
The White House has already announced the guest list for the First Lady’s box. In the past, these honored guests have been a good indication of the President’s talking points during the address. This year’s list includes the parents of Tyre Nichols, whose son was tragically killed in an altercation with the Memphis Police Department at the beginning of this year.
Here’s Belt again:
BELT: This is going to be an opportunity for the president to talk about police reform. And I think there’s an opportunity for both sides to get involved in terms of legislation for for policing reform.
Also in attendance will be the U.S. ambassador of Ukraine, advocates for abortion rights and the families of war heroes, cancer survivors and LGBTQ+ activists.
Belt says that these guests will provide a segue for the President to discuss the White House’s efforts in the past year.
BELT: I expect he’s going to be talking to a large degree about the policies that were passed in the last Congress, albeit to a much lower dollar figure than he would have liked. And he’s going to talk about their successes.
Biden is also expected to delve into the state of the national economy, a talking point at nearly every State of the Union in the country’s history. Experts anticipate a discussion of the “once in a generation” infrastructure bill that the President signed last year. Also on the docket is the Inflation reduction Act. This bill aims to curb the past year’s inflation rate, which hit a four-decade high in the Summer of last year
Despite these challenges, Colin Seeberger, senior adviser for communications at the Center for American Progress, remains optimistic about Biden’s impact on the economy.
COLIN SEEBERGER: He’s steered the economy through a number of global headwinds to the lowest unemployment rate we’ve seen in about 54 years. And he led the Democratic Party to a midterm performance that really defied the historical odds.
The importance of this year’s address is heightened with the 2024 presidential race right around the corner. Although Biden has yet to commit to running, many experts expect his announcement in the coming months.
Belt anticipates a calculated attitude from the President with the election on the horizon.
BELT: He’s going to want to also show that he has energy and vigor and is still up to the job of being president, particularly if he wants to run again.
A lot will be discussed tonight, but according to Belt, one thing is for certain:
BELT: He will say what all presidents say, which is the State of the Union, is strong.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Anthony Slade.