President Joe Biden to Deliver Second State of the Union Address
On Tuesday, February 6th, President Joe Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address, a tradition rooted in the US Constitution, to a divided Congress.[0] He will use the opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of his administration and to lay out his policy agenda for the coming year as he gears up for a second presidential bid.[1] In the address, Biden is expected to address pressing issues such as inflation, Covid-19, mass shootings, police reform and infrastructure.
In preparation for the event, the White House announced the people joining First Lady Dr. Jill Biden in the viewing box.[1] The guest list serves as a road map to the initiatives already rolled out by Mr. Biden and his priorities for the upcoming months.[1] He is expected to tout his administration’s efforts to make health care more affordable, such as implementing a $35-per-month limit on insulin.[2] Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will deliver the Republican response to the speech.[3] Arizona Congressman Juan Ciscomani will also give the address in Spanish.[4]
Despite Biden's accomplishments so far, the president continues to be plagued by negative approval ratings.[5] Most polls find that less than 50% of Democrats want Biden to be renominated, and he faces a tough challenge for the Democratic nomination from Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.[6] Biden also has a difficult battle ahead if he faces Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who leads in a hypothetical matchup.[6]
Biden’s speech will focus on his “unity agenda”, including ending cancer, taking better care of veterans, tackling a national mental health crisis and squashing America's opioid epidemic.[7] He will also call on Congress to work together on non-controversial issues.[7] During the speech, a designated survivor will be housed in a secure location to take over the government in case of a catastrophe that impairs the president and his other successors.
Due to the Republican majority in the House of Representatives, Biden is likely to experience difficulties in pushing forward his legislative plans.[8] He will, however, attempt to find common ground with the new House Republican majority and make clear his commitment to move forward.[8] Stay tuned for more live updates and to find out what Biden's address will mean for the future of the country.
0. “What you need to know about the US State of the Union address” Al Jazeera English, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/7/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-us-state-of-the-union-address
1. “State of the Union 2023: Tyre Nichols' family, Bono, Paul Pelosi among notable guests” CBS News, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-of-the-union-guests-biden-2023-tyre-nichols-family-bono-paul-pelosi
2. “Biden to push for universal insulin price cap in State of the Union” POLITICO, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/06/biden-universal-insulin-price-cap-state-of-the-union-00081435
3. “GOP contrasts majority agenda with Biden's ‘failed far-left policies' ahead of State of the Union” Fox News, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-contrasts-majority-agenda-bidens-failed-far-left-policies-state-union
4. “Joe Biden's 2023 State of the Union: How to watch, what he'll talk about, who's responding” PolitiFact, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/feb/06/joe-bidens-2023-state-union-how-watch-what-hell-ta/
5. “Biden plagued by negative approval ratings ahead of second State of the Union speech” Fox News, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-plagued-negative-approval-ratings-second-state-of-the-union-speech
6. “Biden is in a weak position heading into the State of the Union” CNN, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/politics/approval-rating-biden-low/index.html
7. “Biden to dust off unity agenda for State of the Union address” Axios, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/02/07/biden-unity-agenda-state-of-the-union
8. “Biden to outline optimistic vision for US’s future in State of Union address” The Guardian US, 7 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/07/biden-sotu-what-to-expect
