US President Joe Biden delivered an optimistic and unity speech in his second State of the Union, asking Republicans to work together with their Government “to finish the job”.
At a time when he is looking to relaunch the country’s economy, Biden tried to calm the economic anxiety that affects a significant part of the US population, asking on Tuesday for the collaboration of the opposition.
“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 sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for power, conflict for conflict, doesn’t get us anywhere,” said the head of state.
It was the first time Biden had addressed Congress since Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US parliament, in last year’s midterms.
“That has always been my vision for the country. Restore the nation’s soul, rebuild America’s backbone: the middle class, unite the country. We were sent here to finish the job”, stressed the President of the United States of America (USA).
While he has yet to officially announce his plans for the 2024 presidential race, Biden has already stated that he intends to run for re-election and was expected to adopt an electoral tone in the State of the Union.
Biden chose to give special emphasis to the economic and legislative achievements that he has achieved over the past two years and made the same appeal several times throughout the speech: “Let’s finish the job”.
“Over the last two years, my government has reduced the deficit by more than $1.7 billion [€1.58 billion] – the largest deficit reduction in American history. Under the previous government, the US deficit rose four years in a row. Because of these record numbers, no President has added more to the national debt in four years than my predecessor,” Biden said, referring to Donald Trump.
“Nearly 25% of the entire national debt, a debt that took 200 years to accumulate, has been added by this Administration alone,” he added, to the booing of Republicans in Congress.
Despite having advocated a collaboration with the Republicans, Biden has threatened the opposition with vetoes of the legislation.
“Make no mistake. If Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it. (…) If they try to do anything to increase the cost of prescription drugs, I will veto it,” he warned.
For more than an hour, Biden appeared before both chambers of the United States Congress, in a speech that began shortly after 21:00 (02:00 today in Lisbon), in one of the most important ceremonies in North American politics. .
Trying to convey a message of hope and economic prosperity, the Democrat said that the United States is “in a better position than any country in the world” to revive the economy, despite the effects of the war in Ukraine and the covid-19 pandemic.
The American leader addressed the “places and people that have been forgotten”, in reference to the working class that has traditionally been the basis of the Democratic Party and which, in recent years, has grown closer to the Republicans and Donald Trump in particular. .
“While I’m here, we’ve created a record 12 million new jobs – more jobs created in two years than any President has ever created in four years,” he said.
Biden’s emphasis on his economic achievements comes at a time of strong criticism from the Republican opposition to his economic policy.
The White House and Congressional Republicans are currently locked in a debate over raising the debt ceiling, with no immediate way out in sight as each side isolates itself on its position.
The Republicans demanded that the Democratic Government approve budget cuts in issues such as health or education so that they give the ‘green light’ in the Legislature to suspend the debt limit, which is currently at 31.4 billion dollars (about 29 billion euros) and which was reached on the 19th of January.
Referring to the attack on the Capitol perpetrated by Trump supporters in January 2021, Biden came out in defense of American Democracy.
“Two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, although injured, our democracy remains unyielding and intact,” he said in a firm tone.
Addressing divisive issues in the USA, the Democrat took the opportunity to defend the right to abortion, a comprehensive reform of immigration, the ban on access to semi-automatic weapons and criticized police violence, in the presence of the mother and stepfather of Tire Nichols, a young black man who was recently fatally beaten by agents of the US security forces.
“There are no words to describe the heartbreak and pain of losing a child. But imagine what it’s like to lose a child at the hands of the law,” Biden said.
