“America is an idea, the most unique idea in history, we are created all of us equal, it’s who we are, and we cannot walk away from that principle, and in fact say that we’re dealing with the American idea.”
President Joe Biden addressed the 117th Congress on Wednesday night, to address the joint body on the State of the Union. At the end of his first 100 days in the presidency, Biden used the speech to call attention to his massive spending plans, and to announce the status of the four major crises that he has used to drive both policy and fear in America—the economy, the pandemic, racism, and climate change. But he added something new, calling the Capitol riot of Jan. 6 the "worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War."
The Civil War was the deadliest military conflict in American history. The Capitol riot saw five people dead, one unarmed woman, Ashli Babbit, was shot by police, while four other people, including an officer, died of natural causes.
Members of congress sat fully masked despite vaccinations and a reduced number of attendees. There were only 200 people watching, while normally there would have been 1600.
"I stand here tonight, we are just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration," Biden said, after lauding his administration for having women in leadership positions.
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View on X"100 days since I took the oath of office—lifted my hand off our family Bible—and inherited a nation in crisis. The worst pandemic in a century. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.
"Now—after just 100 days—I can report to the nation: America is on the move again," Biden said to cheers. "Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength."
We all know life can knock us down," he said, going on to provide rhetoric about how America is "choosing light over darkness."
He said "100 days ago America's house was on fire, and we had to act." He praised congress and the people of the country, and lauded his American Rescue Plan, a massive $1.9 trillion spending plan that was passed without Republican support.
Vaccines were a big part of what he was proud of, saying that "we are marshaling every federal resource" to get vaccines even to "the poorest of the poor," and speaking about the vaccine distribution plans, in association with pharmacies and medical offices.
"Go get vaccinated, America! Go and get the vaccination! They're available! You're eligible now!"
Biden said vaccines are a "dose of hope," and spoke about schools now being open, grandparents being able to see their grandchildren.
"We can't let our guard down," he said, but said that "our progress over these past 100 days" has been one of the best "logistical achievement that we've ever seen."
Other achievements that Biden noted included the stimulus checks of $1400, which he said was great for a single mom in Texas that he met, who was able to use that sum for groceries and rent. Another constituent used the money to take her granddaughter to the eye doctor. Biden spoke about the food banks that were overrun during the pandemic, where people needed help "through no fault of their own." Again, he praised his American Rescue Plan for providing food for people. The ACA was also on his list, saying that lots of people signed up after he made his "special sign up period."
Biden said that the US is on track to cut child poverty in half, and spoke about his job plan. "More jobs in the first 100 days that any president in record," he said, not noting that millions of people lost their jobs when state governments closed their economies and forbid businesses from operating and then from opening. The government took people's jobs, but once businesses were allowed to reopen, people were able to get new jobs.
Infrastructure was a big part of Biden's "build back better" plan, as was the jobs plan that is meant to facilitate that. "Today, up to 10 million homes in America and up to 400,000 schools," he said, have lead pipes that provide drinking water. These pipes will be replaced by the American jobs plan. High speed internet will also be implemented across the country through the jobs plan.
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View on XHe turned to Vice President Harris and said that she would be tasked with the implementation of these things. Transmission lines to build "a resilient and fully clean grid" will be part of the plan as well.
Women, he said, have dropped out of the workforce due to the pandemic because they didn't have access to childcare or elderly parents. Home care and childcare are infrastructure for the Biden administration, and they plan to fund care of children and the elderly so that those who love them don't have to take care of them anymore.
The climate crisis, too, is a jobs issue, Biden said, "jobs, jobs, jobs," to a round of applause. Energy efficiency in buildings and homes, as well as electric car charging stations along the highways, are all part of the plan. Farmers are also to be enlisted, in planting "cover crops." Wind turbine blades will be manufactured in the US, he said, "there's no reason that American workers can't lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries."
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View on X"Buy American," Biden said, "and I might know parenthetically, that does not violate any trade agreement, that has been the law since the 30s, buy American." He said that American tax dollars would be used to buy American goods and create American jobs.
"Now, I know some of you at home are wondering whether these jobs are for you. So many of the folks I grew up with feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that's rapidly changing. Let me speak directly to you," Biden said.
"Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth in the years to come. It is an eight year program. These are good-paying jobs that can't be outsourced. Nearly 90 percent of the infrastructure jobs created in the American Jobs Plan don't require a college degree. 75 percent don't require an associate's degree," Biden said.
"The Americans Jobs Plan is a blue-collar blueprint to build America, that's what it is. And, it recognizes something I've always said in this chamber and the other," he said. "Wall Street didn't build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions built the middle class."
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He asked congress to pass the "Protect the Right to Organize Act and the PRO Act so we can protect the right to organize," as well as to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour across the country. He wants the "Paycheck Fairness Act" on his desk as well. The PRO Act is based on California's AB5, which forced gig workers into employment contracts, and in many cases cost freelancers their jobs.
"We'll see more technological change in the next ten years than we saw in the last 50," he said, praising the artificial intelligence industry and decrying the US for falling behind the rest of the world.
DARPA would also be funded, Biden said, "it's led to the discovery of the internet." He wants a "similar project research agency for health. It would have a singular purpose" to treat illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and alzheimers. Biden brought up his son Beau, who died of cancer. Then he took on mortality due to disease itself, saying "I know nothing that is more bipartisan, so let's end cancer as we know it, it is within our power to do it."
Biden said he's open to ideas from people he disagrees with, "but the rest of the world is not waiting for us… so let's be clear, doing nothing is not an option."
As regards China, he spoke about his long-standing relationship with President Xi, saying "he's deadly earnest about becoming the most significant consequential nation in the world. You know this, autocrats think democracies can't compete with autocracies in the 21st Century."
To deal with that, he's introduced "the American Families Plan," which guarantees "four additional years of public education for every person in America, starting as early as we can." He said that universities have conducted studies that show that people should be in universities longer. The administration will spend more money in student loans, and on colleges, than ever before.
Biden said that the First Lady, who got a round of applause at being mentioned, "has long said… any country that out educates us is going to out compete us."
"The second thing, we need, the American Families Plan will provide access to affordable childcare. We guarantee," he said over applause, that "lower and middle income families will pay no more that 7 percent of their income" on childcare, and poor people won't have to pay anything. This plan will also cover parental leave.
"And fourth, the American family plan puts money directly into the pockets of millions of Americans," he said. This is in the form of tax credits. "That will help more than 65 million children and help cut childcare poverty in half. We can afford it."
"Let's extend that childcare tax credit at least through the end of 2025," he said.
Biden wants to address "other critical problems for American families," including "lower deductibles for working families on the Affordable Care Act, and lower prescription drug costs." He said that Trump also had this intention.
He called for higher taxes, as well, saying that 55 large corporations didn't pay any taxes and evaded taxes. "We're gonna reward work, not wealth." And he said capital gains taxes should be higher. "I believe what I propose is fair, fiscally responsible," and probably most importantly, it will fund his big spending plans. He slammed Trump's tax cut plans, and said there should be more taxes on CEOs. "The pay gap between CEOs and their workers is the largest in history," he said.
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View on X"The pandemic has made things even worse," he said, noting that "650 people increased their wealth by over a billion dollars during the pandemic" and it's "time to grow the economy from the middle out." Economic experts, he said, agree with his plans.
"I've often said our greatest strength is the power of our example and not just the example of our power."
In speaking to world leaders, he said, "I've made it known, I've made it known, that America's back, and y'know what I hear is we see America's but for how long, for how long. My fellow Americans, we have to show that we're back and we're back to stay. And we're not going to do it alone, we're going to lead with our allies," he said, as a few of the people in the chamber rose in ovation.
"No one nation can deal with all the crises of our time, from terrorism, to nuclear proliferation, mass migration, climate change, as well as what we're dealing with now, pandemics, there's no wall high enough," he said.
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View on X"America is an idea, the most unique idea in history, we are created all of us equal, it's who we are, and we cannot walk away from that principle, and in fact say that we're dealing with the American idea."
Foreign policy concerns, such as Russia and Afghanistan, were also on the priority list, as he said that the US military is the greatest fighting force in the world.
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View on XHe said the "worst terror threat facing the nation today," "white supremacy is terrorism."
"We have to come together to heal the soul of the nation," he said, speaking about the death of George Floyd, and speaking to his daughter.
"I know Republicans have their own ideas, and are engaged in productive discussions in the senate… but let's get it done next month by the first anniversary of George Floyd's death. The country supports this reform and congress should act, should act, we have an opportunity to bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice."
Biden said it's time to "root out systemic racism" in the country, and congratulated congress on passing a hate crime bill to support Asian Americans.
Biden demanded the passage of the Equality Act, the George Floyd Act, and so many other vast, sweeping legislative initiatives, and said to "all transgender Americans watching at home" that "the president has your back."
Gun control legislation is also on his agenda. He said that "the country supports this and congress should act, this shouldn't be a red or blue issue," he said. "No amendment to the constitution is absolute."
"We're not changing the constitution, we're being reasonable."
With regard to the border, he said that "we have to get to the root problem as to why people are fleeing" Central America, saying that there are many crises there that force people out of the area.
"If you don't like my plan, let's at least pass what we all agree on," Biden said. He called for permanent protection for immigrants who came from places that were hard to live in, and pathways to citizenship for farm workers.
The right to vote, he said, was sacred, and "more people voted in the last presidential election than at any time in history… it should be celebrated, and instead it's being attacked." Another piece of legislation, HR1, he wants on his desk as well.
"The insurrection was an existential crisis, a test, as to whether our democracy could survive, and it did," Biden said. "We've stared into the abyss of insurrection, of pandemic and pain, and we did not flinch."
"We can do whatever we set our mind to if we do it together, so let's get together," Biden said.
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