President Joe Biden entered the House Chamber to thunderous applause, greeting old friends along the aisle, to give the first address of his presidency to the US Congress on Wednesday night. On the eve of his 100th day in office, Biden’s “build back better” speech was about America “winning the 21st century” through rebuilding the nation, revitalizing the US economy, and winning the future for America.
The two most powerful women in the US sat behind him, Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi — a first in US history.
Having served almost 40 years in the US Senate, as Biden removed his mask revealing a beaming smile, he said, “It’s good to be (almost) home.” His greeting of “Madam Vice President” was also the first time any US President has ever said that in an address.
In contrast to presidential speeches of the last four years, Biden focused on unifying the country and crediting the strength of the American people for getting through the pandemic and economic recession.
The US is already seeing the results of the America Rescue Plan, according to Biden. He touted the success of the vaccine program that has to date led to more than 220 million shots in arms, double the original 100 million promised at this stage of his presidency. “In America, we never stay down. We’re choosing hope over fear, truth over lies, and light over darkness.”
A prevalent theme of his speech was that America is at an “inflection point” in history, competing with China and others to “win the 21st century.” So it not only has to build back, but build back better.
Biden touted his American Jobs Plan that will bring millions of jobs back to the US, fund infrastructure, and also add jobs in the energy sector to address climate change. “For too long we’ve failed to use the most important word when it comes to meeting the climate crisis: jobs, jobs, jobs!”
He offered what he called a “blue collar blueprint” to build America which was not built by Wall Street, but by middle-class Americans and unions. He called for the minimum wage to be raised to $15 per hour.
Biden touted the need for a “resilient and fully clean” US power grid.
He unveiled a new American Families Plan that, among other things, would add another four years of free education in America, starting as early as age three or four, and provide for up to 12 weeks of paid family medical leave.
He gave only a nod to US foreign policy in the Middle East, referencing “ending the forever war in Afghanistan,” which earned a standing ovation, and the need to defeat al-Qaeda.
He focused heavily on China and Russia, two of the “autocracies” he said that have bet against the US’s ability to maintain its democracy.
He called the January 6 Insurrection “an existential crisis” about whether democracy would survive. “And it did.” Repeating a phrase he has used before, he said, “it’s never a good bet to bet against America.”
He said he’s made it known the world that “America is back” and that America “will lead by the power of our example, not the example of our power.”
He said he made clear to China’s leader Xi Jinping that all countries will play by the same rules in trade, and that he will defend America’s interests across the board from unfair subsidies and theft of intellectual property. These words were said not to cause a conflict, but to prevent one, he said.
Biden vowed to work closely with US allies to address the threats by both Iran and North Korea.
Addressing racial justice and police reform, he said America must “come together to rebuild trust between law enforcement and the people they serve.” He urged Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act reform bill by the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death on May 25. He said this is an opportunity “to bend the arc of the moral universe toward real justice,” a reference to the famous words of Dr. Martin Luther King.
And finally he laid down a challenge to the Republicans on the other side of the aisle to come together to support innovation, nimble legislation, and education, and to avoid the stalemates on legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act to equalize pay for women, the police reform bill, and the Violence Against Women Act.
“The rest of the world is not waiting for us,” said the President. “Doing nothing is not an option. We can’t be so busy competing with one another to let the rest of the world win the 21st century.”
Given the health, economic, political, and even existential challenges facing the US today, Biden’s presidency appears to be on a transformational trajectory. If his bold, progressive plans succeed, they will be transformative for the country in terms of jobs and the economy.
Given the largely negative Republican response that followed this first presidential address full of optimism and hope, it remains to be seen whether Biden will get the cooperation he seeks from across the aisle. However, Biden has thrown down the gauntlet, and America’s future may well depend on whether Republicans and Democrats will come together to take up the challenge.
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