state of union address 2023US President Joe Biden said in his address that the US economy is in a better position to grow than any country on earth despite the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The pandemic has disrupted our supply chains and Putin’s unjustified and brutal war in Ukraine has disrupted energy supplies as well as food supplies,” Biden said in his second State of the Union address at the National Capitol on Tuesday (February 7) evening. interrupted as well.”
“But we are in a better position than any country on earth right now,” he said.
Biden on the US economy,
Biden said American democracy is in better shape than it was when he took office in 2021, shortly after supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in the Jan. 6 attack.
He said, “Two years ago, democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War and today, despite being wounded, our democracy remains unshakable and unbroken.”
Biden addressed “America’s story of progress and resilience,” according to excerpts released by the White House ahead of the speech.
“We are the only country to have emerged stronger from every crisis that we entered into. That is what we are doing again. Two years ago our economy was faltering. Tonight as I stand here, we have created a record 12 million new have created jobs. – More jobs have been created in two years than any president has created in four years. Two years ago, COVID closed our businesses, closed our schools, And we were robbed of so much. Today, COVID no longer controls our lives. And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War.
Biden is giving his first major speech in a divided Congress since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives. He urged Republican ‘friends’ to work with him.
“To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there’s no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress. The people have sent us a clear message. Fighting to fight Fighting for power, fighting for power, fighting for fighting, gets us nowhere. And my vision for the country has always been this: restoring the soul of the nation, rebuilding the backbone of America: the middle class, Uniting the country. We’ve been sent here to get the job done!” They said.
Biden has called on Republicans to work with him in Washington, D.C., denouncing the “battle for war”. “Republican guys, we can work together,” he said.
Pointing to several laws passed with bipartisan support, he said, “We are often told that Democrats or Republicans cannot work together. But over the past two years, we have proved the cynics and critics wrong.”
Biden on health care:
In an early sign of bipartisanship, Biden began his speech by congratulating newly elected House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The president also approved House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – the first black party leader in the chamber. Biden has hailed the progress made against the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, he announced that his administration would end national emergency and public health emergency declarations for COVID in May.
“Today, COVID no longer controls our lives,” he said.
Biden has called for capping the cost of insulin at US$35 for all Americans after a law was enacted that caps costs for seniors on Medicare, a healthcare program for most elderly Americans .
He said, “Let’s get the job done this time. Let’s fix the cost at US$35 for everybody. Big Pharma is still going to do pretty well, I promise you that.”
Biden has hailed the bipartisan 2021 legislation, which secured USD 1.2 trillion to revive the country’s infrastructure. “We’ve come 13th in the world—the United States, 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 biggest infrastructure investment since President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System.”
He also stressed the US economic plan about investing in the places and people that have been forgotten.
“Too many people have been left behind or treated as if they are invisible amid the economic turmoil of the past four decades. You might be watching at home. You remember the jobs that went . And you wonder if there’s still a way you and your kids can get ahead without being left behind. I get it. That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. JOBS Pride is coming back because the choices we’ve made over the past two years are a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make real difference in your lives.”
Biden on Jobs:
Biden has said the US should lead the world in manufacturing after years of bleeding factory jobs.
He told legislators, “Where is it written that America can’t lead the world in manufacturing? I don’t know where it is written. For decades we imported products and exported jobs.”
“Now, thank you for what you’ve done. We’re exporting American products and creating American jobs.”
(with inputs from agencies)
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