This is how we covered the 2023 State of the Union address, live
The US president addressed Congress in an event marked by China, the Ukraine war, gun and police reform and calls for unity in defense of democracy
US President Joe Biden delivered on Tuesday the State of the Union address that marks the halfway point of his term. The Democrat was set to showcase his administration’s achievements before Congress, from his economic management to his message on the defense of democracy, while the Republicans were planning to warn about debt and inflation. However, a string of mass shootings in January and, more recently, the appearance of a Chinese spy balloon over US skies which has exacerbated diplomatic tensions, have both had an impact on this crucial annual event, which began at 9pm ET. “To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress. The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” he said.
Goodbye
Thank you for following our coverage of the 2023 State of the Union address by US President Joe Biden. Until next time. Good night.
President Joe Biden walks from the podium after delivering the State of the Union address. / Jacquelyn Martin / POOL / EFE
President Biden's speech ends
President Joe Biden's State of the Union address has ended after just over an hour. During his speech he has spoken about domestic and international issues, ranging from the war in Ukraine and the ever-present threat of Russia, to the competition and rising tension with China, all the way through to gun violence and police reform, healthcare and, of course, the economy.
The Democratic president's final words were an optimistic call for unity: "We must see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans. We are a good people, the only nation in the world built on an idea. That all of us, every one of us, is created equal in the image of God. A nation that stands as a beacon to the world. A nation in a new age of possibilities. So I have come here to fulfil my constitutional duty to report on the State of the Union. And here is my report. Because the soul of this nation is strong, because the backbone of this nation is strong, because the people of this nation are strong, the State of the Union is strong. As I stand here tonight, I have never been more optimistic about the future of America. We just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America and there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together".
Biden calls for a defense of democracy with Paul Pelosi's example
Biden concluded his message with a theme he has insisted on time and again: the defense of democracy. It was a key slogan in his campaign for last November's legislative elections. To present it, he made use of the presence of Paul Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi's husband, brutally attacked in his home last November. Democracy, he said, "is the most fundamental thing of all. With democracy, everything is possible. Without it, nothing is possible.
"For the last few years our democracy has been threatened, attacked, and put at risk. Put to the test here, in this very room, on January 6th", he continued, in a thinly veiled attack on Donald Trump, his presidential adversary in 2020. "And then, just a few months ago, unhinged by the Big Lie, an assailant unleashed political violence in the home of the then-Speaker of this House of Representatives. Using the very same language that insurrectionists who stalked these halls chanted on January 6th. Here tonight in this chamber is the man who bears the scars of that brutal attack, but is as tough and strong and as resilient as they get. My friend, Paul Pelosi. But such a heinous act never should have happened. We must all speak out. There is no place for political violence in America. In America, we must protect the right to vote, not suppress that fundamental right. We honor the results of our elections, not subvert the will of the people. We must uphold the rule of the law and restore trust in our institutions of democracy. And we must give hate and extremism in any form no safe harbor".
Biden insisted that the United States is "at a turning point," one of those "moments that only a few generations ever face, where the decisions we make now will decide the course of this nation and of the world for decades to come. We are not bystanders to history. We are not powerless before the forces that confront us. It is within our power, of We the People. We are facing the test of our time and the time for choosing is at hand. We must be the nation we have always been at our best. Optimistic. Hopeful. Forward-looking".
The opiod epidemic and the mental health crisis
The opioid crisis figured prominently in the president's speech. Fentanyl, he recalled, "is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year," he said, urging a major offensive to stop "the production, sale and trafficking of fentanyl, with more drug detection machines to inspect shipments and stop pills and powder at the border."
The call has been accompanied by strong support for mental health, especially for children. "When millions of young people are struggling with bullying, violence, trauma, we owe them greater access to mental health care at school", he said.
Immigration
"America’s border problems won’t be fixed until Congress acts", Biden said tonight on the immigration issue. The president, who has faced a tough situation on the line with Mexico over increased illegal immigration, says the situation requires the support of Republicans.
He noted that during his administration, 8.000 human traffickers have been arrested and more than nine tons of fentanyl, the potent synthetic opiate, have been seized in recent months.
"Since we launched our new border plan last month, unlawful migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97%", added the president. Biden also stressed the need to give Dreamers citizenship, one of his first promises upon reaching the White House that remains unfulfilled.
US President Joe Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol. / Jacquelyn Martin / Bloomberg
Economy, collaboration with Republicans, police violence, firearms, Ukraine and China
U.S. President Joe Biden has been speaking just over an hour now. He has reached out to Republicans to work together ("The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for fighting's sake, power for power's sake, conflict for conflict's sake, gets us nowhere"), he has showcased the economic achievements of his presidency ("Two years ago our economy was faltering. As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs: more jobs have been created in two years than any president has created in four years"), called for police reform and a ban on assault weapons. He also sent a message of support to Ukraine and issued a warning to China: "If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country", he said.
Unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Putin's imperialist aggression
Biden reaffirmed his support for Ukraine to curb Vladimir Putin's imperialist ambitions and the role of the United States as guarantor of the international order in the face of illiberal threats. "Let’s remember the world is watching. I spoke from this chamber one year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin unleashed his brutal war against Ukraine. A murderous assault, evoking images of the death and destruction Europe suffered in World War II. Putin’s invasion has been a test for the ages. A test for America. A test for the world". Then, he rhetorically posed in his speech whether the US, and by extension the West, was ready to come to Ukraine's defense. "Would we stand for the most basic of principles? Would we stand for sovereignty? Would we stand for the right of people to live free from tyranny? Would we stand for the defense of democracy? For such a defense matters to us because it keeps the peace and prevents open season for would-be aggressors to threaten our security and prosperity. One year later, we know the answer. Yes, we would", he stressed, in the presence of the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, guest of honor at the event.
A call to ban assault weapons
Biden has never hidden his intention to regulate access to guns, including banning assault or combat weapons, the deadliest, and raising the minimum age for purchasing such weapons: "Do something. That was the same plea of parents who lost their children in Uvalde: Do something on gun violence. Thank God we did, passing the most sweeping gun safety law in three decades. That includes things that the majority of responsible gun owners support, like enhanced background checks for 18 to 21-year-olds and red flag laws keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and others. But we know our work is not done".
Tyre Nichols holds his newborn son. / LUCY GARRETT / Getty Images via AFP
"Let’s come together and finish the job on police reform"
With the memory still fresh of the beating death of young African-American Tyre Nichols in Memphis, at the hands of five police officers, also black, Biden calls for progress on a police reform that has been stalled for two years in Congress by Republican opposition. "I know most police officers are good, decent people," the president said. "But what happened in Memphis, it happens too often."
Biden has called for resources to diagnose and tackle mental health problems encountered by officers on the streets. "We need more money to reduce violent crime and gun crime; more community intervention programs; more investments in housing, education and job training".
"With the support of victims' families," he continued, "civil rights groups and law enforcement, I signed an executive order for all federal agents that bans chokeholds, restricts warrants and other key elements of the George Floyd Act." He did so in May 2022, on the second anniversary of the death of Floyd, an African-American, from choking under the weight of a white officer's knee. That unleashed a wave of global protests that gave birth to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Several family members of victims of police brutality have been invited to tonight's speech. Among them, those of Nichols, who have risen to receive applause from the congressmen. "Let's come together on police reform," Biden said.
It was one of the most emotional moments of the speech. The chamber fell silent when he said, "I’ve never had to have the talk with my children – Beau, Hunter, and Ashley – that so many Black and Brown families have had with their children. If a police officer pulls you over, turn on your interior lights. Don’t reach for your license. Keep your hands on the steering wheel. Imagine having to worry like that every day in America."
That part of the speech ended with a bipartisan ovation for the families of those killed.
Republican boo for Medicaid
The Republican benches have come out of their slumber to eagerly boo a reference by Biden to his alleged hidden plan to cancel Social Security and Medicare, as Republican Sen. Rick Scott (Florida) said in his latest campaign.
Healthcare
The chapter on healthcare, of a system that works for all, is at the center of a large part of the speech; specially the access to insulin at reasonable prices: "Every day, millions need insulin to control their diabetes so they can stay alive. Insulin has been around for 100 years. It costs drug companies just $10 a vial to make. But, Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars – and making record profits. Not anymore", said Biden.
Infrastructure
Biden defends one of his major accomplishments, the infrastructure bill: "Now we’re coming back because we came together to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest investment in infrastructure since President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System. Already, we’ve funded over 20,000 projects, including at major airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland". Projects that will provide jobs for "hundreds of thousands of Americans" and that, he recalled, are made possible by bipartisan support for the initiative.
President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address. / CHIP SOMODEVILLA / Getty Images via AFP
Biden: "If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country"
The White House has advanced the text of Biden's speech. The president offers Ukraine his full support to defend itself against Russia and launches a message to China after the spy balloon incident: "Before I came to office, the story was about how the People’s Republic of China was increasing its power and America was falling in the world. Not anymore. I’ve made clear with President Xi that we seek competition, not conflict. I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong. Investing in American innovation, in industries that will define the future, and that China’s government is intent on dominating. Investing in our alliances and working with our allies to protect our advanced technologies so they’re not used against us. Modernizing our military to safeguard stability and deter aggression. Today, we’re in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world. I am committed to work with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world. But make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China’s threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did. And let’s be clear: winning the competition with China should unite all of us. We face serious challenges across the world. But in the past two years, democracies have become stronger, not weaker. Autocracies have grown weaker, not stronger".
Unemployment
"Unemployment rate at 3.4%, a 50-year low. Near record low unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers. We’ve already created 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years. Where is it written that America can’t lead the world in manufacturing again?"
Working together to overcome two years of hardship
"The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere. And that’s always been my vision for our country. To restore the soul of the nation. To rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class. To unite the country. We’ve been sent here to finish the job".
The first direct appeal for unity
"We’re often told that Democrats and Republicans can’t work together. But over these past two years, we proved the cynics and the naysayers wrong. Yes, we disagreed plenty. And yes, there were times when Democrats had to go it alone. But time and again, Democrats and Republicans came together"
Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy applaud as US President Joe Biden arrives to deliver the State of the Union address. / SAUL LOEB / AFP
The speech begins
President Joe Biden began his speech by personally greeting the main authorities of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans. Casting a light tone which even included some lighthearted joking, he extended his hand to the new Speaker of the House, Republican Kevin McCarthy ("I look forward to working together"), had special congratulations for the first African-American to lead the Democratic minority in the House, Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and addressed a special mention to his colleague Nancy Pelosi, who led the Democratic majority in the House for decades, among others. "The greatest House speaker in the history" of the U.S., he has said of Pelosi. Her nod to McCarthy has been widely applauded by the Republican caucus.
President Biden arrives
Joe Biden is in the House of Representatives. Democrats receive him with cheers that come and go. Let's just say that an unfettered enthusiasm is not felt.
Irish singer-songwriter Bono (L) speaks to Paul Pelosi, husband of US Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). / SAUL LOEB / AFP
Paul Pelosi and Bono, the fashionable couple
There is certainly plenty of competition on Capitol Hill this Tuesday, but perhaps the most stellar duo of the night will be U2 singer Bono and Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The former suffered last year the attack of a fanatic stuffed with conspiracy theories at the couple's home in San Francisco. The guy came looking for her.
In his own words
Before arriving at the Capitol, President Biden shared a brief video on social media where he previews that he will speak about the strength of the economy. The president reads from a screen and is wearing a casual style shirt, but without a jacket.
An abortion rights activist, left, protests during the March for Life, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, in Washington. / Alex Brandon / AP
More health coverage and price controls on insulin... and abortion?
The pandemic is over, but President Joe Biden wants to continue to make healthcare one of his priorities and health coverage a battle horse in his ideological fight against the Republicans.
He will demonstrate this during Tuesday night's State of the Union address in Washington, which he is expected to use to press congressmen and senators to extend Medicaid to some 2.2 million adults. He will also advocate for the cost of insulin to be capped at $35 per month for US patients, a Democratic aspiration blocked by conservatives during the first half of his term.
Women's reproductive health will be another issue that will be touched upon. It is the first speech he offers after the controversial Dobbs Supreme Court decision against Jackson's Women Health Clinic, which ended federal protection of abortion after almost half a century and returned the ability to legislate on the issue to the states.
Women's pro-choice groups will listen carefully to what the president has to say on the subject. The White House was criticized in the weeks following the high court's ruling because it was unprepared to respond to a decision that was seen coming. Since then, the executive has taken steps to, among other things, expand access to abortion pills and contraception.
SOTU: prime-time television
The State of the Union address is the televised political event of the year. Last year, Biden drew 38 million viewers. Most of this audience tuned in on broadcast television and three other cable networks. It remains to be seen whether the president, who has a very low popularity rating (42%), can get Americans to plug into the political message. For reference only, last year's Super Bowl was watched by 99 million viewers.
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi prior to the arrival of US President Joe Biden for his State of the Union address. / WILL OLIVER / EFE
First full house in three years
It is the first State of the Union address in full capacity since the start of the pandemic, so the chamber is much more crowded than in previous years. In the press gallery reporters crowd the aisles, many of them standing.
Call for unity on cancer cure, opioid crisis, veterans, and mental health
Prominent White House officials, some of whom have helped draft Biden's speech, held a call with reporters on Tuesday morning in which they previewed four points on which the president will issue a call for bipartisan unity: the cancer cure, the opioid crisis, veterans' stewardship and mental health. Communications director Kate Bedingfield said such a thing is possible, in times of extreme polarization, when it comes to reaching compromises like the one achieved last year for timid gun control.
In the case of opioids, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Rahul Gupta, said agreement is urgent: "In the last year, we've lost more than 100,000 Americans to overdoses," he lamented. "That's one person dying every five minutes of every hour of every day. That's unacceptable, period (...) Tonight, President Biden will lay out a hard-hitting approach to go after fentanyl trafficking and expand public health efforts to reduce overdose deaths," he added.
The fight against cancer has been another strong point on Biden's agenda in the first half of his term. The president has compared efforts for its eradication to those that led to conquer the moon in the 1960s.
Officials also pledged words of commitment to another contemporary affliction, the deterioration of mental health, in the wake of the pandemic. "The president is calling for bipartisan support to ban online advertising to children and youth; enact strong protections for their privacy, health and safety online; and improve privacy and transparency," warned Christen Linke Young, who serves in the White House as advisor for health-related issues. They also said they will work to increase the workforce dedicated to tackling these problems, and to press insurance companies to "meet their obligations to provide mental health care on the same terms that they care for physical health care".
Awaiting whether Biden will run for re-election
Joe Biden is not expected to clear the air tonight on whether he will run for re-election in 2024. Biden, who turned 80 last November, is the oldest president the United States has ever had. He would reach the 2024 election at almost 82 years old and a hypothetical second term could extend until he is over 86. In tonight's speech it will be key for the president to avoid the mental lapses and hesitations that have called into question whether he is ready to run again at his age. The problem for the Democrats is that the figure of their vice president, Kamala Harris, has not taken hold and the party finds itself without a clear alternative despite the fact that most of its voters would prefer a fresh face on the ballot in next year's presidential election.
Biden plans trips to Wisconsin and Florida after his speech to tout the accomplishments of his presidency, suggesting that he is planning to run again. Last November, after the midterm elections, when asked if he planned to run for re-election in 2024, he pointed to his wife and replied in the plural: "Our intention is to run again." He also said that it was "a family decision" and that he expected to make it definitive early this year. An announcement to that effect is expected in the next two months.
Biden leaves the White House on his way to Capitol Hill
US President Joe Biden has left the White House on his way to Capitol Hill for his State of the Union address. Biden will reach out to Republicans in his speech, boast about the economic achievements of his presidency, and review his policy agenda. He will also address major foreign policy challenges: the war in Ukraine and tension with China.
Protesters march Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn., over the death of Tyre Nichols. / Gerald Herbert / AP
Police reform and gun violence returns center-stage
Following a series of mass-shootings over the course of January, as well as an extensively covered case of police brutality, the issues of gun violence and police reform have come roaring back to the national conversation. The parents of Tyre Nichols, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis, Tennessee, and later died, are expected to be in attendance; so is Brandon Tsay, who disarmed the gunman who shot and killed 11 people in Monterey Park, California, and others who also reacted during recent mass shootings. In their presence, it is likely that Biden will speak about the topic passionately, specially considering his past efforts to address gun violence and police excesses have met stiff opposition in Congress. Now, the president insists on bringing back the plans he shelved over the summer in order to achieve bipartisan consensus: banning assault weapons and raising the legal age to buy guns to 21.
Almost a year on from the invasion of Ukraine, what next?
At president Biden’s first State of the Union Address, on March 1st 2022, the speech was mostly dominated by a single event: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine barely a week earlier. This time around, Biden will spotlight that Ukraine has been able to stay in the fight because of America’s support -nearly $30 billion in security assistance since the start of the war-.
Tonight's speech, in which Biden will point to Russia as the main threat to global security, comes with the prospect of an entrenched war and a probable Russian offensive to try to break the deadlock in the Donbas in the coming days. The scenario is even more uncertain than it was a year ago, and if the course of this war has shown anything, it is that what was unthinkable yesterday for fear of escalating the conflict (for example, the supply of HIMARS missile launchers or the sending of tanks), goes ahead a few weeks or months later. For the time being, the White House maintains its resistance to providing fighter jets. Congress approved in December, still under Democratic control, a $45 billion line of credit for Ukraine. Some Republicans object that the aid cannot be a blank check.
The balloon is taken down over South Carolina. / Chad Fish / AP
The Chinese spy balloon controversy
With the possible exception of the war in Ukraine, it is difficult to find a foreign policy issue that attracts as much interest as China. The rivalry between the two powers has been going on for months now and involves trade, technology and security issues. The clash between Beijing and Washington flared up a few days ago with the sighting and subsequent shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon hovering over U.S. territory in South Carolina. The incident has occupied the news agenda for days. It has also strained diplomatic relations between the two. Antony Blinken canceled a scheduled visit to China and described the incident to his Asian counterpart, Wang Yi, as an "irresponsible act" and a "clear violation of sovereignty".
This Monday, the Pentagon admitted that military commanders failed to detect three spy balloons like the one shot down this weekend during Donald Trump's presidency. Then, the devices briefly flew over Florida Texas, Hawaii and Guam, a small Pacific island where the United States has one of its largest military bases. So any mention by Joe Biden of China tonight will gain a lot of notoriety for those who follow geopolitics.
Bono at the Washington National Cathedral on Dec. 5, 2022, in Washington. / Nathan Howard / AP
On the List: Biden's guests at the State of the Union address
In the highly theatrical ritual of the State of the Union address, delivered each year by the President of the United States to a joint audience of congressmen and senators on Capitol Hill, the most eagerly awaited list in the hours leading up to the address is that of those invited by the President himself to attend his speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. They are carefully chosen to underscore with their presence the points the president wants to emphasize. This year they range from rock stars (Bono) to anonymous citizens unwittingly placed at the center of a whirlwind of tragedy and media attention, such as the parents of Memphis teen Tyre Nichols, the latest name to enter the history of police brutality infamy in the country.
What follows is a list of some of those illustrious guests at tonight's speech in Washington:
Bono. Singer of the Irish band U2 and activist for the most varied causes, for whose fight he deploys his worldwide fame.
Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States. She was already invited last year, when Biden's first speech came six days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nearly a year later, the end of the war seems far off, but the U.S. commitment to Kiev's cause remains unwavering.
Row Vaughn and Rodney Wells, mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols. Five police officers beat him to death last month in Memphis. His case, and the poise of his parents, have reopened the debate about police brutality in the United States, an issue that seemed on the mend after the chokehold death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020.
Brandon Tsay, another anonymous man at the center of American political power. Tsay disarmed the killer of 11 people in one of the latest mass shootings to horrify the country. It happened in Monterey Park, California, and the tragedy ripped the Asian American community in half.
Deanna Branch. Lead was found in her son's blood because of water coming out of the home's plumbing. The Biden Administration has set a goal of replacing all lead pipes in the country within the next decade.
Mitzi Colin Lopez. Immigrant rights activist, specializing in advocacy for dreamers.
Doug Griffin of Newton, New Hampshire. Lost a daughter to a fentanyl overdose. Biden plans to stress the importance of the fight against opioids. The drugs have taken the lives of 100,000 Americans by 2022.
Amanda Zurawski, Texas neighbor. She almost died because of restrictive anti-abortion laws that came out of the Supreme Court ruling that eliminated a woman's federal right to choose.
President to call for collaboration with Republicans
The speech comes after the Republicans have gained control of the House of Representatives. According to excerpts of the speech advanced by the White House, Democrat Biden will call for collaboration: "To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress. The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere. And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class, to unite the country. We’ve been sent here to finish the job!", he will say.
A worker passes a hiring sign at a construction site, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, in Portland, Maine. / Robert F. Bukaty / AP
Biden defends his economic plan after a year of high inflation
President Joe Biden sees a nation with a glowing future. He considers his economic policies will reinforce the middle class through the creation of new factories and the improvement of infrastructure. Just this past Friday, the president said the proof was in the January employment report, which showed 517,000 jobs as the unemployment rate fell to 3,4%, the lowest it has been since 1969.
One of the advanced excerpts of the speech makes it clear: “My economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten. Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible. Maybe that’s you watching at home. You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away. I get it. That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives”.
A message full of optimism and resilience
President Joe Biden will deliver a message of optimism, resilience in the face of the pandemic and overcoming threats to democracy, according to another advance excerpt: “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience…We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again. Two years ago our economy was reeling. As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs – more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years. Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much. Today, COVID no longer controls our lives. And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken”, he will say.
Biden gets ready for his second State of the Union Address
Good evening, welcome to the live coverage of the State of the Union address. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, will appear tonight at 9:00 p.m. Washington time in fulfillment of his constitutional obligation. The US Constitution states that the president "shall report from time to time to Congress on the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he may deem necessary and expedient". It started out as a written communication, but then an address to Congress became customary. Including Biden's first speech, there have been a total of 98 annual messages or State of the Union addresses in person.
In this year's speech, Biden will call for collaboration between Democrats and Republicans, showcase his Administration's economic achievements, and address all kinds of domestic (shootings, police violence, health care...) and foreign policy issues, with tensions with China over the alleged spy balloon detected last week in the U.S. and the war in Ukraine as star themes.
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