Biden aims to reset presidency
- Biden’s first State of the Union address starts at 9 p.m. ET.
President Joe Biden fulfills a constitutional request when he delivers a State of the Union address – his first – to Congress on Tuesday.
The president kicked off his speech strongly condemning Russia for its “unprovoked” invasion of Ukraine, including closing off U.S. airspace to Russia planes.
And he hailed a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, urging Americans to see the virus, and not each other, as the enemy.
Once President Joe Biden leaves the podium after giving his first State of the Union Tuesday, at least two political leaders will deliver separate responses to the address: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for the Republican Party and Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
Here’s what else you need to know, along with some history on the speech.
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Analysis: Biden seeks his footing as his agenda and the landscape are transformed
Everything has changed.
For President Biden, his State of the Union address Tuesday night was dominated by issues he had scarcely mentioned in his first speech to a joint session of Congress a year ago – issues of inflation at home and Russian aggression abroad, on which his presidency will now be judged.
Speaking at length and at times with emotion, the president described Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine as a historic challenge to European stability and security that demanded a strong and united response. Even as Biden climbed to the dais in the House of Representatives, Kyiv was bracing for an all-out Russian assault that could lead to the occupation of the capital and the overthrow of the nation’s democratically elected government.
Read the whole story here:A world of change: Biden seeks his footing as his agenda and the landscape are transformed
Who heckled Biden?
A notable moment in the State of the Union came when Biden talked about talked about the flag-draped coffins of fallen service members, including his son, Beau, who died in 2015 of brain cancer at age 46.
As Biden spoke about Beau, people inside the House chambers reported someone shouting, “You put them in there, 13 of them.” After the comment was made, attendees in the chambers began to boo and groan at the comment, as Biden paused for a brief moment and continued his address.
Boebert later confirmed on Twitter she in fact made the comment, in reference to the 13 U.S. soldiers who were killed in a suicide bombing attack at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport in August as the Taliban took over Afghanistan and Afghans attempted to flee the country.
–Jordan Mendoza
Biden touts Justice Breyer, Ketanji Brown Jackson
In one of the more touching moments of Biden’s remarks Tuesday, the president
Read More: Biden aims to reset presidency