U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday the "story of America is a story of progress and resilience" as he gave his second State of the Union address with a focus on his domestic economic policy, including an appeal to his Republican opponents to work together.
"Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools and robbed us of so much," Biden told a joint session of Congress.
"Today, COVID no longer controls our lives," he said.
"And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken."
Facing a Congress in which Republicans now have a majority in the House of Representatives, Biden cited legislation that Republican and Democratic lawmakers came together to pass, including a massive infrastructure bill, aid for Ukraine and protecting same-sex marriage rights.
"To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can't work together and find consensus in this new Congress as well," Biden said.
Biden said that to maintain the world's strongest economy, the United States needs the best infrastructure, and he said new standards will require federal infrastructure projects to use only construction materials made in America.
"Lumber, glass, drywall, fiber-optic cable," he said. "And on my watch, American roads, American bridges and American highways are going to be made with American products as well."
Overall, Biden said, his economic focus is on "investing in places and people that have been forgotten."
The president also argued for raising the debt ceiling, which is the maximum amount the U.S. Treasury can borrow to pay the nation’s bills. The U.S. hit its debt limit of $31.4 trillion in January. Congress now has until midyear to raise the limit before the U.S. defaults on its loans.
Biden said Congress has previously paid the country's bills "to prevent an economic disaster." He called on lawmakers to commit to making sure the credit of the United States will never be questioned.
Kevin McCarthy, the newly elected speaker of the House of Representatives, has said the Republican Party will continue to oppose what they see as excessive spending.
"Biden's challenge in the State of the Union is to make the global case while also presenting himself as a leader who understands and is prepared to meet the day-to-day economic challenges facing Americans here at home," political scientist Andrew Seligsohn said in a note to VOA.
Foreign policy
Biden said in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “murderous assault” on Ukraine, the United States has united NATO and built a global coalition.
“We stood against Putin’s aggression. We stood with the Ukrainian people,” he said.
With Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova in attendance, Biden said the United States is united in its support for Ukraine and will “stand with you as long as it takes.”
With U.S.-China relations hitting a new low last week when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the country for a week, Biden said he wants to work with China in ways that can advance U.S. interests and benefit the world.
“But make no mistake about it: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country,” he said.
Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair at the Hudson Institute, a conservative Washington think tank, told Lin Feng of VOA's Mandarin Service ahead of the speech that Biden needs to show he "is forging ahead with policies that strengthen the security of America and its allies. His words about China should highlight Beijing's deeds, not words, but without adjectives. Let facts speak for themselves."
Gun control, immigration
Biden used part of his address to urge Congress to support immigration reforms, including providing equipment and officers for border security, a pathway to citizenship for certain immigrants who came to the country as children and for farm workers and essential workers.
He also advocated for a ban on assault rifles, and for police reforms.
The Congressional Black Caucus invited the parents of slain Memphis resident Tyre Nichols to the address.
Nichols, 29, was killed by five African American police officers in January. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have used the tragedy to urge Congress to revisit the stalled police reform act that Democrats proposed after the 2020 killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd.
“What happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often,” Biden said. “We have to do better.”
