The State of the Union

The Story

President Biden is putting the final touches on his second State of the Union address.

Go on.

On Tuesday, Biden will deliver the nation’s annual report card to Congress — and the American people, via major news networks. It comes as Congress is deeply divided (reminder: both the GOP and Dems narrowly control the House and Senate, respectively) and the president’s own house is under a microscope (yes, the classified docs controversy). It also comes as only 23% of Americans are satisfied with how things are going in our country — though that’s up 6% from a year ago. In addition to highlighting the ways the economy’s moving in the right direction, Biden may try to boost his support by talking about...

Foreign affairs. Last year, Biden’s SOTU happened just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This year, it’s happening just days after announcing $2.2 billion in new aid for Ukraine. And as more and more Americans say we’re spending too much. Also of note: China.In recent months, Biden has indicated support of Taiwan and the US just announced plans to expand its military presence in the Philippines to provide extra protection in the region. All of that strained already tense US-China relations, which is why Secretary of State Antony Blinken was supposed to travel to Beijing this weekend. That is, until a spy balloon entered the equation, and blew things even further off-course. (More on that in a bit.)

Bipartisanship and the debt ceiling. This will be Biden’s first speech to Congress since the GOP took control of the House. So, he’s likely to emphasize bipartisan achievements (think: the infrastructure bill, Safer Communities Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act). And areas where his admin wants more common ground, namely the debt ceiling.

Police reform and gun control. The White House will have a few important guests in the audience, including Tyre Nichols’s parents and Brandon Tsay, the man who disarmed the shooter in Monterey Park, CA. So some want Biden to push for more police reform — and more gun control. Worth noting: Since New Years, at least 69 people have lost their lives in dozens of mass shootings.

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Once again, it’s time for the president to make the case for himself and his agenda to the American people. This year, the stakes may be even higher: Biden is reportedly on the heels of officially announcing his 2024 reelection bid. TBD how voters — and Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR), who’s delivering the GOP rebuttal — will respond.