Joe Biden's first State of the Union address looked very different Tuesday night than it would have a few weeks ago -- before Russia invaded Ukraine, inflation kept rising and coronavirus guidance dramatically shifted. He used almost half of the time to speak with strong words of support for the Ukrainian people and their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"Putin's latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked," Biden said. "He rejected repeated -- repeated efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. He thought he could divide us at home, in this chamber, in this nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready." Biden said.... With low approval ratings for his handling of the economy – and inflation top of mind for Americans – Biden proclaimed: "I get it." "Too many families are struggling to keep up with their bills," he said. "Inflation is robbing them of gains they thought otherwise they would be able to feel." He said his "top priority is getting prices under control."
On COVID, Biden acknowledged Americans were "tired, frustrated and exhausted" from the coronavirus pandemic -- but also signaled the U.S. was entering a new phase. "We've reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19, where severe cases are down to a level not seen since July of last year," he said. He announced his administration was launching a "test-to-treat" program where Americans who test positive for COVID at drugstores could then receive free antiviral pills to treat the virus.
Biden has made a quest for bipartisanship a hallmark of his presidency, and during his speech, he proposed what he called "a unity agenda for the nation." In addition to listing a variety of proposals that would have been part of a larger "Build Back Better" bill that passed the House but stalled in the Senate because of opposition from Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va, he called for legislation to invest in cancer research, support veterans, combat domestic violence, and more. "We can do these things," Biden said. "It's within our power."
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