President Biden’s State of the Union Address: Policy Achievements, Police Reform, and Potential 2024 Bid
President Joe Biden is set to deliver his second State of the Union address tomorrow evening, with a divided Congress and a looming 2024 election on the horizon.[0] Biden is expected to tout his administration’s achievements and the relatively good state of the US economy, while also mourn the death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis last month at the hands of police. He is also likely to call for an assault weapons ban, something he has been pushing for since taking office, and further police reform.
The address will be broadcast on major news networks, with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivering the Republican response.[1] Biden is also expected to announce his decision on whether he will run for president again in 2024 sometime after the address.[2]
Biden’s speech will come nearly a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which he addressed in his first State of the Union address, urging the nation and its allies to back Ukraine.[3] He is likely to explain why the US is still committed to Ukraine’s success and what that support will look like going forward. Biden has already committed nearly $30 billion in security assistance since the start of the war.[4]
In terms of domestic politics, Biden is expected to focus on his legislative achievements, especially those with bipartisan support, and call for Republicans to continue to work with him to advance the business of the American people. He could also bring up gun control, as he signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law last year, which expanded background checks on people between the ages of 18 and 21 and provided incentives for states to pass red-flag laws.[5]
Biden’s speech will be closely watched, as the nation weighs the idea of a Biden White House for another four years. Biden has not yet declared his candidacy, but the State of the Union could very well double as a soft launch for a 2024 bid.[3] The White House hopes the gesture will leave Americans with the impression of a reasonable president blocked at every turn by an unreasonable opposition party.[6]
This week’s address marks the first time Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is seated behind Biden, taking the spot Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held the past two years.[0] Today, President Biden returns to the White House from his weekend trip to Camp David, in preparation for his State of the Union address tomorrow evening.[6]
0. “Biden to address divided Congress during State of the Union” The Hill, 6 Feb. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3844898-biden-to-address-divided-congress-during-state-of-the-union
1. “Joe Biden's 2023 State of the Union: How to watch, what he'll talk about, who's responding” PolitiFact, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/feb/06/joe-bidens-2023-state-union-how-watch-what-hell-ta/
2. “How to watch Biden's 2023 State of the Union address” CBS News, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/state-of-the-union-2023-joe-biden-how-to-watch/
3. “Flexing his wins and eyeing a 2nd term, Biden will lay out contrasts with GOP in State of the Union” POLITICO, 5 Feb. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/05/biden-contrasts-gop-state-of-the-union-00081216
4. “Biden’s State of the Union on Tuesday comes against the backdrop of huge new challenges. Here’s what to look for in his speech and in the audience” Fortune, 6 Feb. 2023, https://fortune.com/2023/02/06/state-of-the-union-biden-2023-what-to-watch-for-guns-china-baloon-ukraine/
5. “Analysis | Biden's 2022 State of the Union proposals: What flopped and what succeeded” The Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/05/bidens-2022-state-union-proposals-what-flopped-what-succeeded/
6. “Biden prepares for State of the Union as US collects Chinese balloon debris – live” The Guardian US, 6 Feb. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2023/feb/06/biden-state-of-union-spy-balloon-china
