President Joe Biden delivered his first formal State of the Union address Tuesday evening, with the hour-long speech focusing on Ukraine, inflation, the coronavirus pandemic and what he calls his "unity agenda".
The address, delivered in-front of a mostly maskless audience of lawmakers and others in the House of Representatives chamber of Congress, sought to tackle two difficult tasks--rallying American support for ally Ukraine and reviving his stalled domestic policy agenda after the disappointing collapse of his Build Back Better bill.
Here are a few takeaways from Biden's address:
America's message to Russia:
Biden started his speech was strong words of support for Ukraine and president Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the nation faces a large-scale Russian invasion.
"Putin's latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked," Biden said. "He rejected repeated efforts at diplomacy. He though the West and NATO wouldn't respond. He thought he could divide us at home, in this chamber, in this nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready."
Biden touted his administration's strategy of standing with Europe and NATO in imposing harsh sanctions on Russia and President Vladimir Putin, in effort to cut off Moscow from international business with allies and cripple the nation's economy. Biden said these sanctions have made Putin "more isolated from the world than he has ever been".
Beyond sanctions, Biden announced in his address that the U.S. will ban Russian aircraft from flying through American airspace, following similar moves by the European Union, United Kingdom and Canada.
Plans to combat inflation:
Only 41.5% of Americans currently approve Biden's presidency, with inflation being a major concern for most citizens since the start of the year. Biden sought to address this fear, stating his "top priority is getting prices under control".
As part of this effort, Biden said he authorized releasing oil from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat rising gas prices, condemned price gouging, and called for more domestic manufacturing in effort to lessen reliance on global supply chains.
"Lower your costs, not your wages," Biden said in a statement to U.S. companies. "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."
Still, Biden's call to action relies heavily on his stalled Build Back Better agenda, which includes policies aimed at cutting the cost of prescription drugs, new climate actions to lower energy costs, offering affordable child care options, and instituting free, universal preschool, among other efforts to help support the middle class.
Long-term COVID strategy:
In his address, Biden acknowledged that Americans are "tired, frustrated and exhausted" from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has impacted the nation for over two years. However, the president was optimistic of life after the threat of COVID, stating that the U.S. is entering a new phase of its pandemic strategy, with more emphasis on testing over social restrictions.
"Last year, COVID-19 kept us apart. This year, we're finally together again," Biden told the mostly maskless chamber. "We will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this is a virus that mutates and spread, we will stay on guard."
"I cannot promise a new variant won't come," Biden added. "But I can promise you we'll do everything within our power to be ready if it does."
Biden announced that his administration is launching a "test-to-treat" program that will distribute antiviral COVID pills--like the ones developed by Pfizer
Biden also called for all people who are eligible but have yet to receive a vaccine to get vaccinated, echoing previous pleas to the American people. Currently 65% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against the virus, according to data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Lays out Unity Agenda:
Biden introduced what he called a "Unity Agenda for the Nation", which include four policy goals that the president believes already have broad bipartisan support.
The agenda calls for new programs to combat the nation's opioid epidemic, efforts to support children's mental health impacted by the pandemic, increase funding and medical services for veterans, and advance research to end cancer.
"It is important for us to show the nation that we can come together and do big things," Biden told lawmakers.
