Tuesday, in a State of the Union address that acted as an olive branch to doubting Republicans and a strategy for his 2024 re-election campaign, President Joe Biden referred to U.S. democracy as "unbowed" and offered to work with the opposing party.
In his first address to a joint session of Congress since the Republican takeover of the House in January, Vice President Biden highlighted the post-pandemic economic recovery and emphasized that a deeply divided Congress could overcome its differences.
"It is commonly stated that Democrats and Republicans cannot collaborate. But over the past two years, we've proven the cynics and doubters wrong," added Democratic Senator Joe Biden. If we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can't work together and reach a consensus on vital issues in this Congress.
Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy sat behind Biden for the first time during the address.
Biden drew laughter by saying, "Mr Speaker, I don't want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working with you."
The White House's attempt to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, which must be presented in the coming months to avert a default, will be a test of this challenge. The White House has stated that Biden will not bargain over this requirement; in exchange for their support, Republicans want budget cutbacks.
Biden, seeking to project optimism ahead of a presidential race in 2024, stated that the economy was benefiting from 12 million new jobs, that COVID-19 no longer governs American lives, and that the U.S. democracy remains intact despite facing its greatest challenge since the Civil War.
"Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken," he stated.
Since his inauguration in 2021, after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Biden has stated that he wants to unify the country. In keeping with this approach, Obama emphasized a primary infrastructure measure that many Republican members opposed.
Biden stated, "I sincerely thank my Republican friends who voted for the law,"
"And to my Republican friends who voted against it but continue to want to fund projects in their areas, have no fear. I committed to serving as president on behalf of every American. We will sponsor your endeavours. And I'll see you at the groundbreaking ceremony," he continued, eliciting laughs and applause.
Despite his efforts, Biden remains unpopular.
In a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll that concluded on Sunday, his public approval rating increased one percentage point to 41%. This is close to the lowest level of his administration, with 65 per cent of Americans feeling the country is headed in the wrong direction, compared to 58 per cent a year ago.
Similarly, 65% of registered voters said the country was headed in the wrong direction in the fall of 2020, when Donald Trump was president, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
In her Republican answer, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who briefly served as Trump's press secretary, disputed Biden's optimistic view of the nation.
"In the America of the radical left, Washington taxes you and sets fire to your hard-earned money. In excerpts provided before her televised remarks, Sanders said, "But you are crushed by high gas prices, empty grocery store shelves, and our children are taught to hate one another based on their race."
Biden's allies regard the address, likely to attract millions of viewers and arguably the president's most influential television audience of the year, as a watershed moment before the commencement of his second presidential campaign in the coming weeks.
Recent polls indicate that Biden turned 80 in November and, if re-elected, will be 82 at the start of his second term, which worries many Democratic supporters.
Divided Republicans
After four years of Democratic leadership of the House, Biden faced a fractured group of Republican legislators determined to stamp their conservative stamp on U.S. policy.
McCarthy and Vice President Kamala Harris grinned and conversed from the podium before Biden's arrival.
McCarthy stated on Tuesday that he would not rip up Biden's speech, citing former Speaker Nancy Pelosi's actions following President Trump's State of the Union address in 2020.
McCarthy said in a video, "I respect the other side," "I may disagree with a policy. But I want to ensure this nation is more powerful, economically stable, energy independent, secure, and accountable." He stated that he pushed Biden not to use the words "extreme MAGA Republicans" in his speech, which is a reference to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
Some House Republicans have questioned Biden's chances of defeating Trump in the 2020 presidential election, pledging to examine his cabinet and family. With a razor-thin majority and intraparty differences, however, Republicans struggled to elect a speaker and are anticipated to continue to battle to unite their far-right and more moderate members.
Economic progress
Biden praised the durability and strength of the U.S. economy, noting that the jobless rate in January reached a level not seen in nearly 54 years.
According to the White House, Biden was scheduled to criticize corporations for profiting from the outbreak and run through a wish list of economic measures. However, many of these initiatives are unlikely to be implemented by Congress. They include a minimum tax on billionaires and a fourfold increase in the tax on stock buybacks by corporations.
On foreign policy, Biden was anticipated to emphasize the U.S.-led response to Russia's year-long invasion of Ukraine, the strength of the NATO alliance, and tensions between the U.S. and China, highlighted by the downing of a Chinese spy balloon this week by the U.S. Navy.
One of his aides stated that he would ask Congress to work together to strengthen regulation of the technology industry, including what the administration views as the need for better privacy protections.
It was anticipated that he would also criticize "Big Oil" and "Big Pharma" for profiteering, airlines and credit card firms for charging garbage fees, and low-tax paying companies.
"Large firms do not merely exploit the tax code. He stated, "They are taking advantage of you, the American consumer."
