Three takeaways from Biden’s State of the Union speech

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union tackle earlier than a joint session of Congress within the Home Chamber on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 7, 2023. REUTERS

WASHINGTON — Listed here are some takeaways from U.S. President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday, an tackle that might function a blueprint for his 2024 re-election bid:

Biden, Republicans spar

Biden, a Democrat, advised Republicans in Congress who’ve questioned his legitimacy and threatened to dam his insurance policies that “there isn’t any cause we are able to’t work collectively.”

Many Republicans discovered cause to disagree, even earlier than his remarks started.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who as soon as served as press secretary for Trump, rejected Biden’s speech in a response ready beforehand.

“Within the radical left’s America, Washington taxes you and lights your hard-earned cash on hearth,” she stated.

And whereas Democrats had been fast to rise in applause, Republicans applauded solely sporadically, and remained silent when Biden listed his administration’s accomplishments. A number of Republican members remained seated all through.

Jeers, then an ovation

The loudest Republican jeers got here when Biden accused Republicans of planning to chop Social Safety and Medicare, which some members of the occasion have urged however whom Biden stated he wouldn’t title.

“Liar!” shouted Republican U.S. Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene.

“We by no means stated that!” stated Byron Donalds, one other Home Republican.

Biden, who appeared to be on the point of dropping management of the room, seized on the obvious Republican lawmakers’ assist for the favored outdated age and healthcare packages, to say: “I get pleasure from conversion.”

“We obtained unanimity,” he continued. “Social Safety and Medicare are a lifeline for thousands and thousands of seniors. People need to pay into them from the very first paycheck they began. So tonight, so all of us agree, and apparently we’re, let’s get up for seniors.”

“Get up and present them! We is not going to reduce Social Safety!” a gleeful-looking Biden stated amid cheers as lawmakers from each events stood.

Assault on large firms

Biden used a big section of his ostensibly bipartisan pitch attacking companies, from what he known as “Large Pharma” to “Large Oil” and “Large Tech.” Biden accused the pharmaceutical firms of charging an excessive amount of for insulin however made no point out of their function in tamping down the COVID-19 pandemic.

He accused tech firms of working a for-profit “experiment” on youngsters, stated oil firms had been making an excessive amount of cash and made a case for larger taxes on billionaires.

“Large companies aren’t simply profiting from the tax code,” Biden stated. “They’re profiting from you, the American client.”

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