Biden will deliver a State of the Union address on March 7
President Biden will deliver his third State of the Union address on March 7, an opportunity to lay out his vision for the nation amid a presidential campaign that the White House has described as a test for democracy.
In a letter On Saturday morning, Speaker Mike Johnson officially invited Mr. Biden to deliver the constitutionally mandated address to a joint session of Congress during “this moment of great challenge for our country.”
“I’m looking forward to it, Mr. Chairman,” Mr. Biden said Saturday afternoon after on X, the social media platform. March is unusually late for a State of the Union address, which is typically broadcast nationally; Mr. Biden’s last came on February 7.
The speech comes at a delicate time for Mr. Biden, following a pair of deadlines on Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 to pass packages that would fund the federal government for the rest of the 2024 fiscal year and avert a shutdown.
Negotiators in Congress have yet to agree on even the most basic details of a budget — though leaders have signaled optimism that they can at least agree on its overall size in the coming days.
Mr Johnson is facing pressure from hardline members of his party who have threatened to block bills funding the federal government unless the Biden administration sharply tackles migration across the US-Mexico border – an issue that is one of the most salient issues. crises facing the White House.
The invitation also comes amid high-stakes negotiations between the White House and Democrats and Republicans in Congress over aid to Ukraine and Israel, which has become a signature part of Mr. Biden’s foreign policy agenda . Republicans have also refused to approve foreign aid without immigration restrictions. Biden accused Republicans last month of holding military aid “hostage” to secure “an extreme Republican party political agenda.”
The speech will give the president a moment to speak directly to Americans as he struggles to find an effective message that can reverse dismal polling, concerns about his age and continued frustration with the economy. Despite solid economic data, a November New York Times/Siena College poll of voters in six battleground states found that 81 percent think the economy is only “fair” or “bad.”
Biden’s aides have said they remain focused on articulating the benefits of billions of dollars in federal investments in infrastructure, clean energy and manufacturing, and contrasting his agenda with that of Republicans. Some Democratic allies, however, have urged the White House to more directly invoke his most likely opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, who is expected to secure the Republican presidential nomination.
Mr. Biden appeared to do so on Friday during a speech outside Philadelphia, a day before the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Mr. Trump’s supporters.
“We have to be clear,” Mr. Biden said. “Democracy is at stake. Your freedom is on the ballot.”
Zach Montague contributed reporting from Wilmington, Del., and Karoun Demirjian from Washington.