President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address on Wednesday. The address comes against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has killed hundreds of civilians, including children, despite warnings and sanctions from the US and its allies.
US President Joe Biden. AP File
President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address on Wednesday. The address comes against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine that has killed hundreds of civilians, including children, despite warnings and sanctions from the US and its allies.
At the same time, the Biden administration faces a looming midterm election that will also serve as an assessment of the country’s faith in the president and the Democratic Party.
According to The New York Times, Biden will use his first State of the Union address to claim credit for a robust economy and for unifying a global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Follow all LIVE updates on the Russia-Ukraine crisis here
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the President will “absolutely use the word inflation” and talk about his plans for reducing costs.
He’ll also call on Congress to act on his now-stalled proposals for reducing the cost of child care, elder care and prescription drugs, she said.
Biden can also be expected to discuss Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, his nominee for an upcoming opening on the Supreme Court.
Let’s take a brief look at the State of Union address and why it is important for the US president:
The State of the Union address, sometimes abbreviated as SOTU, is an annual message delivered by the president of the US to the US Congress near the beginning of each calendar year.
The president generally talks about the current condition of the nation as well as his near-future plans.
The State of the Union address generally includes reports on the nation’s budget, economy, news, agenda, achievements and the president’s priorities and legislative proposals.
In scenarios such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict that may have far-reaching consequences, the president may also talk about the nation’s involvement in the global crisis.
Part of the president’s duties
Delivering the State of Union address is part of the president’s duties according to the US Constitution.
Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution states, “He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
However, the address may not necessarily be in the form of a speech. Earlier presidents, before Woodrow Wilson, delivered the State of Union address in the form of a written report.
The State of Union address is also one of the few instances when members of both houses of Congress, the president’s cabinet, and the chief justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court get together under one roof.
The military is also represented by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and foreign governments are represented by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.
According to the Associated Press, it’s one of the largest audiences Biden will command this year.
An estimated 26.9 million people across 16 television networks watched his address to a joint session of Congress last year, which was not a State of the Union speech. That was the smallest audience for the yearly presidential speech since at least 1993.
Once a formal tradition, the State of Union address over the years has become an opportunity for the incumbent president to connect with the citizens of the US.
In recent times, it has become one of the most important events in the US political calendar.