A State of the Union Address is a speech given by Congress each January and gives Congress a view of the state of the nation and how the President plans to move forward. On Mar. 1, President Joe Biden delivered the State of the Union address, although a few weeks late due to the pandemic and stalled legislative agenda, to Congress. He addressed a multitude of topics, but some topics stood out more than others. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from President Biden’s State of the Union Address. 

Firstly, President Biden called out Russian President, Vladimir Putin, by name. Not only did President Biden denounce all that Putin is doing with Ukraine, but he also showcased his support for the Ukrainian people and stated that he will be employing further sanctions on Russia and banning all Russian airlines from American Airspace, following in the footsteps of Europe and Canada. President Biden focused on Ukraine for a significant amount of time during the duration of his speech and received cheers and audible bipartisan support, which is rare during a State of the Union address. 

President Biden also focused heavily on combating inflation, especially after his low approval ratings. He began by empathizing with the American people and the economic struggles they are currently facing, and he stated that he aims to fight inflation by lowering prices and getting them under control. President Biden highlighted the need to increase domestic manufacturing and also discussed aspects of his “Build Back Better” Plan. He praised the nation’s ability to economically recover while still acknowledging the disruption of supply chains and the closing of factories. Although the President stated that he aims to help the American people, attempting to stabilize prices will be difficult with a Supreme Court that has been hesitant to pass many of his social spending proposals. 

“I think recent gas prices tell us a lot about inflation today, and I wanted to see how the president would address it. I think he could’ve done a better job addressing it, but I hope he takes steps to tackle inflation,” stated junior Grace Titizian. 

The President touched on the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledged that America was entering a new phase of the pandemic. He announced a new “test to treat” program where Americans who have tested positive for the virus at drugstores could receive free antiviral pills to treat the virus. He urged the American people to beware of new variants but stated that he is glad that the country is not in a state where COVID controls our lives. 

The last thing the President emphasized was his desire to unite the nation and he will be striving for bipartisanship during his presidency. While he mentioned the “Build Back Better” Plan during his speech, he also mentioned and called for legislation for cancer research, to support veterans, and to tackle domestic violence. 

Overall, President Biden touched on many important issues and topics during his State of the Union address while focusing on one overarching topic, unity of the nation.

Photo courtesy of FLICKR.COM