Following the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives, US President Joe Biden will make his first State of the Union address. The speech will signify the unofficial start of the 2024 election cycle. Biden will give the second State of the Union address on February 7, 2023 (Tuesday), at about 9 p.m. Eastern time (0200 GMT Wednesday). All significant US broadcast television networks and online will stream the address live.
The speech will also serve as a chance to win over Democrats
The speech will probably draw Biden’s largest television audience of the year. Around 38.2 million people in the country watched the speech on television last year, according to data source Nielsen.
As he prepares to declare his reelection campaign in the coming weeks, Biden will have the opportunity to influence public opinion on subjects like social spending, the Russia-Ukraine war, the debt ceiling, and other topics with such a huge audience. The speech will also serve as a chance to win over Democrats, some of whom have reservations about his age and other factors. Biden was 80 in November, and if he is elected again, he will be 82 when his second term begins.
What can we anticipate from Biden’s State of the Union speech?
In his speech, Biden is anticipated to lay out his policy priorities, which Congress may or may not embrace, as the unofficial start of his 2024 presidential campaign. He is also anticipated to discuss the economic recovery from the post-COVID-19 slump, draw stark comparisons between his plan and that of some of his Republican opponents, and address the initiatives on the “unity” agenda that the president hopes will bring the two parties together.
The speech’s various draughts are circulated between Biden, his speechwriters, and other political and policy professionals present in the government over the course of several weeks. Just after Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden gave his final speech, which heavily emphasized Washington’s response.
Who will be present for the State of the Union speech?
The speech will be given by Biden before the joint session of Congress. The State of the Union address is open to all members of the Democratically-controlled Senate and the Republican-controlled House. The Supreme Court, the armed forces, and members of Biden’s Cabinet will also be present. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had formally invited Biden to deliver the speech earlier in January. McCarthy will serve as the event’s host, and vice president and Senate president Kamala Harris will be present.
The mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, who was recently murdered by Memphis police officers, will be among the attendees this year. Representative Steven Horsford, the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus, invited them.
