US President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address on Tuesday. Facing a politically divided Congress, Biden called for a “bipartisan effort” to consolidate his government for the remainder of his term. The economy, health, security and other internal issues predominated in the address.
Joe Biden delivered a speech lasting more than an hour this Tuesday, February 7, to take stock of his mid-term, present his goals and bills, and encourage Americans to continue to believe in progress and the value of their country. In his words, the State of the Union is “unbreakable” and “indestructible.”
“The history of the United States is a history of progress and resistance… We are the only country that has emerged from each crisis stronger than when it entered it. That is what we are doing again,” he said at the beginning of his speech. .
He called on the Republicans, who now control the House of Representatives, to make efforts and work with him to pass future bills in both Houses, with which he seeks to guarantee different rights such as education, health for all; limit police violence and the carrying of weapons, or strengthen American industry.
“To my Republican friends, I want to say that if we’ve been able to work together in the past, there’s no reason we can’t in this new Congress,” Joe Biden said.
Continue with economic reforms
The economic and fiscal issue occupied a large part of his speech. The president recalled that the current unemployment rate is the lowest in 50 years. He announced that more jobs will be created thanks to infrastructure projects and that he has set out to lead the country to become a leader in the semiconductor industry.
Joe Biden praised the recovery of the US economy and the creation of a record 12 million jobs.
“Two years ago our economy was reeling. As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs – more jobs have been created in two years than any president has created in four years. two years ago, Covid-19 had shut down our businesses, shut down our schools, and robbed us of so much…” Biden said.
Biden’s challenge will be to work with the Republicans on economic issues. He seeks to keep funding the government by raising the federal debt limit this summer, while Republicans have been adamant that he must compromise on spending.
More social and health aid
The US president called for more social and health protection. He proposed a minimum tax rate for billionaires, lowering the price of medicines, and making education a right for all citizens.
“My economic plan is to invest in places and people that have been forgotten. In the economic turmoil of the last four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated as if they were invisible,” said the president.
He warned Republicans: “If anybody tries to cut Social Security, I’ll stop them, and if they try to cut Medicare, I’ll stop them,” he said.
In addition, Biden attacked oil companies and multinationals for their high profits and for taking advantage of consumers. He especially denounced the high profits of the pharmaceutical industry.
“Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars, and making record profits. No longer … let’s cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for all Americans who need it,” the president called.
Regarding Covid-19, he announced the soon end of the state of health emergency in the country.
In terms of immigration policy, Biden asked Congress to pass his immigration reform, or at least provide a path to citizenship for the so-called “dreamers,” the undocumented youth who came to the United States as children.
Police reform and gun carrying
Biden made reference to police violence and racial violence in the country, speaking in front of the parents of Tire Nichols, the 29-year-old man who died a month ago after being brutally beaten by 5 police officers, who were present at the event.
“But what happened to Tire in Memphis happens all too often. We have to do better,” Biden said.
“Public safety depends on the public’s trust, but all too often that trust is violated… When police officers or police departments violate the public trust, they must be held accountable,” he added.
Joe Biden asked Congress for help to end assault weapons and for better gun control reforms.
Foreign policy
Regarding foreign policy, Joe Biden assured that the United States is an ally of Ukraine and urged it to continue supporting this country in the war on its territory.
“We joined NATO and built a global coalition. We stood against Putin’s aggression. We stood with the Ukrainian people,” Biden said.
Regarding China, and only a few days after the case of a Chinese balloon that Washington points out to be a spy device, Joe Biden warned Tuesday night that if China threatens the sovereignty of his country, it would not go unanswered. And he called China not an “enemy” but a “competitor.”
“I am committed to working with China on what advances American interests and benefits the world. But make no mistake: As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we will. we did,” he explained.
Finally, Joe Biden insisted that the fight against the climate crisis must continue and mentioned the natural disasters that his country experiences year after year. However, his proposal for measures was very limited and he mainly congratulated himself on the development of policies to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
With EFE and Reuters
