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President Joe Biden botched his State of the Union address at the top, attempting a joke about his wife Jill going to the Super Bowl without him, spoiling Chuck Schumer’s Senate title and congratulating Kevin McCarthy after criticizing previously Republicans as MAGA extremists.
The president tried to improvise a bit when he took the podium in the House chamber to address the nation.
After greeting Jill Biden, who sat in a box overlooking the House floor, Biden tried to joke with Chief Justice John Roberts about the first lady’s upcoming trip to the Superbowl, where her Philadelphia Eagles play against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“By the way, Chief Justice, you may need a court order,” he said, deviating from his prepared remarks. ‘She can go to the game next week. I have to stay home. I have to work on something here.
He also gave McCarthy, who was presiding over his first State of the Union address as a speaker, an indirect compliment.
‘Mister. President, I don’t want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working with you,’ said the president.
In other sessions, Biden has criticized supporters of Donald Trump like McCarthy as “extremists” in the Republican Party. “This is not your father’s Republican Party,” she has said repeatedly in the past.
The president, who is struggling with a stutter, also wobbled to greet Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, whom he called Minority Leader, which was Schumer’s old title.
‘Chuck Schumer, another, you know, another term is, was this Senate Minority Leader. You know, I think you always have a slightly larger majority. Mr. Leader,’ he said.
Sitting on the House floor, Schumer held up a finger, indicating the one-seat majority Democrats hold in the Senate.
“You are the majority leader,” Biden said, finally nailing his title. But much bigger.
President Joe Biden gives his State of the Union address
Biden’s comments touted his economic record and pushed for more bipartisan legislation like the infrastructure bill and the CHIPS Act.
The president has not announced that he will seek another term, but has said he intends to. He is expected to make a formal announcement in the coming weeks. And his State of the Union address will be seen as an argument for why he should have four more years in the White House.
Biden will take his sales job on the road. She heads to Wisconsin on Wednesday and Florida on Thursday.
Vice Speaker Kamala Harris shakes hands with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he arrives on the House floor to deliver the State of the Union address.
First Lady Jill Biden arrives for the State of the Union address; second gentleman Doug Emhoff stands next to her
President Joe Biden in the presidential limousine known as the Beast on the way to the Capitol
Bono greets Paul Pelosi – the two men have seats next to each other in Jill Biden’s box
Persistent against the backdrop of Biden’s comments is the fight to raise the debt limit. Republicans want to cut federal spending in exchange for raising the nation’s debt limit to $31.4 trillion. Biden wants it elevated with no strings attached.
The battle is shaping up to be his first major political fight with the Republicans since they took control of the House. The two parties have until the end of June to reach an agreement.
In addition, the Federal Reserve has been slowly raising interest rates to try to slow the rise in inflation. The consumer price index fell from an annual rate of close to 9% in June to less than 6.5% in December.
Gasoline prices that hit $5 a gallon over the summer were below $3.50 this week.
The president’s approval rating is hovering around 40% as it progresses on Tuesday night.
The Capitol is prepared to receive it. Protective fences were put up around the building over the weekend and the streets around it will be closed during the speech.
Additional chairs were brought onto the House floor to accommodate the 100 senators, Supreme Court justices, Cabinet members and other officials who will attend.
The television cameras are in Statuary Hall, just down the road from the House chamber where Biden will speak from. Lawmakers will flood the room after Biden’s speech to weigh in on him.
Sitting behind him, for the first time, will be Kevin McCarthy in his speaking role. Biden’s new black beast will bring order to the chamber and introduce the president.
Republican leaders issued a blunt warning to their lawmakers Tuesday to behave while the president speaks, reminding them that cameras and microphones will be on throughout the event.
The US Capitol is seen through the security fence erected before President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress during the annual State of the Union address.
Workers move additional chairs to the House of Representatives for the speech
US V-22 Osprey Military Jets Fly Over Capitol Hill on State of the Union Address Night
US Capitol Police officers gather outside the Capitol building
The presidential limousine stands on the South Lawn in front of the White House before Biden’s departure for the Capitol.
The president’s speech will be made up of two contrasting elements: his ‘unity agenda’ which the administration hopes will attract bipartisan support. They focus on issues they feel they can work with Republicans on: tackling the problem of illegal drugs; give up smoking; helping veterans and cancer patients; and provide more access to mental health care.
But Biden will also push ideas that show how he and the Republicans differ. He will urge Congress to raise taxes on the rich, provide more federal aid to those in need, and guarantee protections for Social Security and Medicare.
He will again ask for a ‘multimillion dollar minimum tax’. In the past, Biden has proposed a 20% tax on households with a net worth of more than $100 million.
Lawmakers will be divided on Biden when he speaks: Republicans to his left and Democrats to his right. The speech will be attended by members of the Cabinet, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the diplomatic corps.
Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene carried a white balloon through the halls of Congress amid criticism of Biden for his handling of the China spy balloon.
Earlier Tuesday, McCarthy warned members of the GOP conference to behave, making it clear he wanted no mischief on the House floor.
Lawmakers were reminded that the boom mics will be on so that “people’s conversations are picked up and whatever you’re reading on your phone” can be seen through a camera lens, one Republican lawmaker said.
The speaker also vowed to behave himself and not cause any “theatrics,” specifically saying he won’t do what Nancy Pelosi did during Donald Trump’s final State of the Union address and tear up the text of the speech.
“I don’t believe in the theatrics of breaking up speeches,” he said in a video posted on his Twitter account. Respect to the other side.
Last year, Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Lauren Boebert of Colorado repeatedly interrupted and interrupted Biden during his remarks.
On Tuesday, Greene was seen walking the halls of Congress with a white balloon as Republicans criticized Biden’s handling of an alleged Chinese ‘spy balloon’ that flew over several US states before finally being shot down on Saturday. .
He did not take it with him to the House chamber for Biden’s speech.