State of the Union updates: Biden touts US economic progress

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has lauded Biden for his speech, saying it was “filled with economic policy to benefit working people and the middle class”.

The President’s speech was filled with economic policy to benefit working people and the middle class — from cutting junk fees and enforcing antitrust law to taxing billionaires and investing in child care.

Joe Biden doing what he does best.

— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2023

Delivering the Republican rebuttal to Joe Biden’s speech, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said that she did not believe “much of anything” the president said.

“From out-of-control inflation and violent crime to the dangerous border crisis and threat from China, Biden and the Democrats have failed you,” she said.

Huckabee Sanders, a former press secretary to ex-President Donald Trump, added that it was “time for a change”, saying that a new generation of Republican leaders are stepping up to challenge the status quo.

Former Republican President Donald Trump has criticised the substance and delivery of Biden’s speech throughout the address.

“Stumbling, bumbling, he just can’t get the words out,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “I don’t want that to happen, but the World is watching, and it’s not a pretty sight!”

With Trump again running for president and Biden likely to seek reelection, the two could face off in the 2024 elections in a rematch of the 2020 race.

Republican strategist John Feehery has said that while Biden’s speech included many elements, the president sounded like Trump in parts of his address.

“Like we’ve got to get the border enforced, we need to do something with fentanyl, we need to stand up to China – that sounds a little Trumpian to me,” Feehery told Al Jazeera.

He added that like most State of the Union speeches, Biden’s address was “kind of effective”.

The US president shook hands and spoke with people in the chamber, taking 20 minutes to make his way from the podium where he spoke to the door where he exited.

After being booed for saying some Republicans had suggested cutting social programmes that help the elderly, Biden was able to change the mood in the House chamber.

“He turned his body and said, ‘Let’s stand up for seniors’ and he bought this rare moment of sort of unanimity,” Al Jazeera White House Correspondent Kimberly Halkett said.

“In covering many State of the Unions in reporting from Washington, it’s not something that I’ve ever seen before – where you sort of see these two parties coming together, negotiating over legislation in the middle of a State of the Union address. It was really quite remarkable.”

Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross has praised Biden’s speech, saying the president succeeded in covering all the achievements of his administration, including infrastructure investments.

“Everything that needs to be hit on, he hit on in this speech,” Cross told Al Jazeera.

“He wove a very, very strong tapestry of his efforts and the Democratic party’s efforts in ensuring that America gets back on track.”

The speech is over and the joint session of Congress has dissolved. But the president is not done touting the goals he articulated during tonight’s address.

On Wednesday, he heads to Wisconsin, a crucial battleground state that narrowly tilted towards Biden in the 2020 presidential race. Then, on Thursday, he is scheduled to make a stop in Florida, a swing state experts say is turning increasingly red under Governor Ron DeSantis, a possible Republican hopeful for the 2024 presidential race.

At both stops, Biden is scheduled to reiterate the points he made during the State of the Union, rallying support for Democrats and a possible 2024 presidential run.

President Joe Biden concluded his speech by lauding the founding principles of the US and voicing optimism about the country’s future.

“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,” he said.

The Democratic president has hit out at far-right “extremism”.

“Our democracy has been threatened and attacked, put at risk, put to the test in this very room on January the sixth,” he said, referring to the 2021 attack on the Capitol, which saw supporters of then-President Donald Trump attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.

He also cited the violent assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, late last year.

“We mustn’t give hate and extremism in any form any safe harbour,” he said.

Cries erupted from the audience as Biden addressed the toll the drug fentanyl has taken on the US public.

“Fentanyl is killing more than 70,000 Americans a year,” Biden said, prompting audience members to yell in response.

“You’ve got it,” the president responded, pausing as the chamber continued to chatter.

Republicans, meanwhile, heckled the president, shouting: “It’s your fault!”

Doug joined my State of the Union tonight.

He wrote Jill and me a letter about his daughter, Courtney. She had a contagious laugh and was only 20 years old when she lost her life from a fentanyl overdose.

Doug, we're with you in starting the journey towards America's recovery. pic.twitter.com/ZgGIfqrQF0

— President Biden (@POTUS) February 8, 2023

While stressing that the US is not seeking confrontation in its competition with China, Biden has warned that Washington will stand up for its interests against Beijing.

“As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country — and we did,” he said, referring to the shooting down of an alleged Chinese spy balloon that flew over the US.

Biden has said the US will support Ukraine against the Russian invasion “as long as it takes”, hailing Washington’s response to the war.

“We’re gonna stand with you — as long as it takes,” Biden said, addressing the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, who is in attendance.

“Our nation is working for more freedom, more dignity, more peace — not just in Europe, but everywhere.”

Introducing Brandon Tsay, one of his guests for the State of the Union, President Joe Biden recalled how Tsay was forced to wrestle a firearm from a gunman during a deadly rampage that unfolded as Lunar New Year celebrations were under way in Monterey Park, California.

“Ban assault weapons now,” Biden said forcefully.

“Ban them now, once and for all. I led the fight to do that in 1994,” he added, referencing the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. “The 10 years that ban was law, mass shootings went down. After they let it expire, the Republican administration, mass shootings tripled. Let’s finish the job.”

Saluting the parents of Tyre Nichols — a Black man who died after being beaten by police officers in Memphis, Tennessee — Biden has called for reforms in policing.

“We have to do better,” Biden said. “Give law enforcement the real training they need, hold them to higher standards, help them succeed in keeping us safe.

“We also need more first responders and professionals to address the growing mental health and substance abuse challenges; more resources to reduce violent crime and gun crime; for community intervention programmes; more investments for housing, education and job training.”

The president said what happened to Nichols “happens too often”.

Biden has called for more resources to crack down on fraud, including wrongdoing around COVID relief funds.

“As we emerge from this crisis stronger, we’ve also got to double down on prosecuting criminals who stole relief money meant to keep workers and small businesses afloat,” Biden said.

Biden has called for reforms in the US tax code so that corporations pay their “fair share”.

“I’m a capitalist, but pay your fair share,” Biden said, addressing corporations. “I think a lot of you at home agree with me… the tax system is not fair.”

Biden addressed debt ceiling negotiations during his remarks, provoking loud booing from Republicans in the chamber.

“Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage. I get it. Unless I agree to their economic plans. All you at home should know what those plans are,” he began.

“Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans, some Republicans, want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. I’m not saying it’s a majority,” he added, addressing the Republican outcry in the chamber. “Anybody who doubts it, contact my office. I’ll give you a copy of the proposal.”

“I’m not saying it’s a majority of you. But it’s being proposed by individuals. I’m politely not naming them.”

Biden has called for capping the price of insulin at $35 for all Americans, after a law came into effect that limited the cost for seniors on Medicare, a healthcare programme mostly for elderly Americans.

“Let’s finish the job this time. Let’s cap the cost … for everybody at $35. Big Pharma is still going to do very well, I promise you,” he said.

Among those applauding Biden’s proposal was Democrat Mark Warner, a senator from Virginia who brought a senior citizen who relies on insulin as his guest to the speech.

Marguerite Bailey Young is 94 years young and relies on two types of insulin. Earlier this year, her costs went way down thanks to the IRA.

Tonight, I brought her to the Capitol for the State of the Union. Proud to work to bring down costs for her and millions of other seniors. pic.twitter.com/3Azs7C3iO8

— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) February 8, 2023

Biden has hailed a 2021 bipartisan law that secured $1.2 trillion to revitalise the country’s infrastructure.

“We’ve sunk to 13th in the world – the United States of America, 13th in the world – for infrastructure, modern infrastructure,” Biden said.

“But now we’re coming back because we came together and passed a bipartisan infrastructure law, the largest investment infrastructure since President Eisenhower’s interstate highway system.”