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President Joe Biden used his first State of the Union speech on Tuesday night to call out Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and vowed to tame surging inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden underscored in his 62-minute address that much of the world is united against Russia as he tried to make Americans feel optimistic about the future — despite his first year in office being plagued by economic and public health woes.
Here are a few key moments from Biden’s address:
Russia’s war on Ukraine
Biden condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s onslaught in Ukraine and warned that Moscow had “no idea what was coming.”
“Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated,” Biden said.
“He thought he could roll into Ukraine, and the world would roll over. Instead, he met a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined: he met the Ukrainian people.”
Biden, who has seen rare bipartisan support during the conflict, confirmed the US would ban Russian planes from entering American airspace.
He also celebrated the West for coming together on hard-hitting sanctions that are “choking off Russia’s access to technology that will sap its economic strength and weaken its military for years to come.”
Tackling rising inflation
Biden said investment was needed in US manufacturing capacity in a bid to lower prices, speed up supply chains and boost American jobs.
“I think I have a better idea to fight inflation: lower costs, not your wages,” Biden said. “Instead of relying on foreign supply chains, let’s make it in America.”
He added: “Too many families are struggling to keep up with the bills. Inflation is robbing them of the gains they might otherwise feel. I get it. That’s why my top priority is getting prices under control.”
The next phase of COVID-19
Biden also used his speech to hammer home that the US had reached “a new moment” in the pandemic after the highly-transmissible Omicron surge.
After entering the House chamber without a mask, Biden said: “Tonight I can say we’re moving forward safely back to more normal routines.”
He went on to note that most of the country can now be mask-free as COVID cases continue to decline and most Americans are vaccinated.
“COVID-19 need no longer control our lives,” he said.
Fighting crime — but not defunding cops
Biden addressed rising gun violence across the US — but pushed back against calls from progressives in his own party to defund the police.
“We should all agree: The answer is to fund the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities,” Biden said as he drew applause from some Republicans.
He also called for increased community services and bans of high-powered assault weapons
Rebranding Build Back Better
Biden did not once use his heavily-touted “Build Back Better” motto during his address.
The president’s spending package formed a huge part of his political agenda — which he hasn’t been able to enact due to pushback.
Despite using the slogan repeatedly throughout his first year in office, Biden on Tuesday rebranded it, saying: “I call it building a better America.”
The agenda is a slimmed-down version of what Biden was previously touting and still includes capping prescription drug prices, anti-climate change policies and financial support to limit child care costs.
The expanded child tax credit from the COVID relief package has been dumped.
With Post wires
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