Biden's State of the Union expected to tout economy as he faces Republican majority in House

Record ID: 1709701

  • Title: Biden's State of the Union expected to tout economy as he faces Republican majority in House
  • Date: 5th February 2023
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 5, 2023) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATHANIEL BIRKHEAD, POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, SAYING: "Whereas in previous decades, when the economy was doing well the President would be rewarded, and if the economy was doing poorly the President would be punished, we are in a new era, and if the economy is doin
  • Embargoed: 19th February 2023 21:20
  • Keywords: Biden McCarthy Presidential race Speaker of the House State of the Union economy
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Lawmaking,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA003764905022023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: On Tuesday (February 7), U.S. President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in a speech that may mark the unofficial start of the 2024 presidential campaign season.
    The speech, which will be broadcast live on the major U.S. broadcast television networks and online, could deliver Biden his largest television audience of the year. According to the data provider Nielsen, an estimated 38.2 million people watched the speech on U.S. television last year.
    That audience will give Biden a chance to shape public perceptions over the debt limit, social spending, the Russian war in Ukraine, and other topics as he plans to announce his re-election campaign in the coming weeks.
    It also gives him an opportunity to shore up support among Democrats, some of whom are concerned about his age and other issues. Biden turned 80 in November and, if re-elected, would be 82 at the start of a second term.
    Biden is expected to tout economic progress following the COVID-19 recession, draw sharp contrasts with the priorities of some Republican opponents, and lay out "unity" agenda items that he believes should unite both parties.
    The speech is weeks in the making and subject to many drafts between Biden, his speechwriters, and various political and policy officials in the administration.
    The speech is delivered during a joint session of Congress. All members of both the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled House are invited. Members of Biden's Cabinet, the armed forces, and the Supreme Court also attend. Partisan outbursts can occur.
    Biden was formally invited to give the address earlier in January by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. McCarthy will preside over the event and be accompanied by Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also the president of the Senate.
    The president also invites family members and other guests who sit in the First Lady's view box from the balcony, and can be used to amplify points he is making during his speech.
    Members of Congress invite guests, too.
    This year, guests will include the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, the Black man who was fatally beaten by Memphis police officers, who were invited by Congressional Black Caucus chair Representative Steven Horsford. Other guests include Brandon Tsay, who was called a hero by authorities for disarming a gunman who shot dead 11 people during a celebration of the Lunar New Year in Monterey Park, California, and Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the United States, Roya Rahmani, who served in the post from December 2018 until July 2021.
    (Production: Deborah Lutterbeck)
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