WASHINGTON (CN) — President Joe Biden touted a new chapter of prosperity in his State of the Union address Tuesday night after years of pandemic restrictions and resulting economic turmoil.
Addressing a divided Congress for the first time, Biden extended an olive branch to his Republican colleagues, urging lawmakers to work together for all Americans. The president attempted to stay above the fray of political divisions between the two parties, looking for areas where both sides of the aisle could meet in the middle.
“The people sent us a clear message,” Biden said. “Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict gets us nowhere. And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class, to unite the country.”
Biden said the country was moving past the darkness of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
“Two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War,” Biden said. “Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken. As we gather here tonight, we are writing the next chapter in the great American story, a story of progress and resilience. When world leaders ask me to define America, I define our country in one word: possibilities.”
Much of Biden’s address focused on bipartisanship, noting lawmakers' accomplishments over the past two years and calling for a continuation of that work.
“We’re often told that Democrats and Republicans can’t work together, but over these past two years we proved the cynics and the naysayers wrong,” Biden said. “Yes, we disagreed plenty. And yes, there were times when Democrats had to go it alone. But time and again, Democrats and Republicans came together.”
Biden pointed to how lawmakers compromised to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and he said the law had already funded 20,000 projects that will put Americans to work rebuilding highways, bridges, railroads, and airports.
“I sincerely thank my Republican friends who voted for the law,” Biden said. “And to my Republican friends who voted against it but still ask to fund projects in their districts, don’t worry. I promised to be the president for all Americans. We’ll fund your projects. And I’ll see you at the ground-breaking. This law will help further unite all of America.”
Biden aimed at connecting with everyday Americans who feel their concerns have been forgotten by politicians. One of these concerns Biden touchced upon was the cost of medical care. He noted his work to lower the costs of prescription drugs — notably insulin — and called for further efforts to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it.
“Let’s finish the job this time,” Biden said.
Biden alluded to some Republicans' threats to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act. He said if any bill came across his desk that would raise the cost of prescription drugs he would veto it.
“As my old football coach used to say, good luck in your senior year,” Biden said of Republicans who want to repeal the law.
Biden focused on uplifting the middle class while forcing the wealthy to pay a larger share of taxes.
“No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter,” Biden said.
He proposed a new bill called the Junk Fee Prevention Act that would ban resort fees at hotels, stop provider change fees, and cap service fees on tickets.
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