President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union on Tuesday to a newly divided Congress, calling for unity and bipartisanship.
Why it matters: While he did not bring up new plans, the State of the Union address came at a critical moment in Biden’s four-year tenure as he is likely to start a reelection campaign.
What’s happening: During the address, he review his legislative accomplishments in the past two years, vowed to stick with his economic agenda, and urged the Republicans and Democrats to work together.
- Biden emphasized his focus on blue-collar workers, pledging strong support for American manufacturing and products with new standards requiring all building materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in the U.S.
- He also underlined his commitment to the everyday American by supporting the Junk Fee Prevention Act, which would stop things like the airline from charging fees for families to sit together.
- Several Republicans in the room stood up and shouted at the President as he spoke about Social Security, Medicare and fentanyl.
Opinions: Observers said the confidence and energy that President Biden showed in the speech made the case that he deserved a second term.
Statistics: About 27.3 million people watched Biden’s State of the Union address on TV, the second-smallest audience in at least 30 years, according to the Nielsen company. Seventy-three percent of those who watched Biden’s speech were 55 or older. Only 5% were younger than 35.
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