The U.S. President presented his first State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
For more than an hour, Joe Biden made his case to Congress, the American people, and the international community.
The speech focused on Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, economic progress, the coronavirus, and immigration.
President Biden’s speech was highly anticipated not only in the United States, but also around the world given the current situation in Ukraine where the Russian military is launching repeated offensives to take control of Ukraine.
The Russian invasion in Ukraine
At the outset, the American head of state reiterated the support of the American people to the Ukrainian people who are under military attack by Russia. “We stand with the Ukrainians who have shown bravery and determination in this battle for their freedom,” said the Democratic president who took the opportunity to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin who he said, launches “unprovoked attacks against Ukraine. By launching these attacks “Vladimir Putin sought to divide the member countries of NATO and the United States. But he did not succeed,” said Joe Biden, who praised the strong coalition of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Joe Biden also announced the end of American laxity towards Russian oligarchs who hold property in the United States. “We will prosecute Russian oligarchs for corruption and other financial crimes committed in the United States,” promised a stronger and more determined Joe Biden.
Closure of American airspace to Russia
The American President also announced that Russia will be banned from flying in US airspace. This will limit Russia’s ability to use airspace to continue assaults on Ukraine. The 46th U.S. President acknowledged, however, that this is not enough to deter Vladimir Putin from abandoning his plans to take over Ukraine. “The days, weeks, and months ahead will be difficult for Ukrainians. After 30 years of independence, they [Ukrainians] are not going to tolerate going back to the drawing board,” said Joe Biden. While reaffirming his support for the Ukrainian people, the head of state once again reiterated that the United States will not send troops to Ukraine to fight alongside the Ukrainians. However, American troops will be deployed in NATO member countries in the region. “Every inch of the territory of NATO member countries will be defended in case of an attack by Russia,” warned Joe Biden.
Anticipating fuel problems due to the sanctions against Russia, Joe Biden announced that 60 million barrels of oil will be extracted from American reserves. They will be distributed to the allies of the United States, according to the former Senator of Delaware who promises to continue to support the American companies affected by the sanctions against Russia.
Economy
After addressing the situation in Ukraine, Joe Biden turned his attention to domestic issues that are of critical importance to Americans. He boasted about his administration’s economic progress. He boasted that he has broken the record for job creation in American history. “In my first year in office, more than 6.5 million jobs have been created,” Biden said.
Over one hundred thousand miles of roads and one thousand six hundred ponds will be repaired this year. This will stimulate the American economy, Joe Biden was pleased to say, inviting companies not to make their products at home.
His first State of the Nation address to Congress was also an opportunity for Joe Biden to promote his “build back better” bill that is sitting in the Senate after being passed in the lower house.
If passed by the Senate, the economic plan will have positive spin-offs for the U.S. economy, citing the 17 Nobel Prize winners in economics who have supported his economic agenda, which is also very popular among the population, Biden said.
COVID-19:
The coronavirus pandemic is another important one in Joe Biden’s speech.
The cases of infections due to COVID 19 are decreasing significantly, Biden said, but he called for vigilance. He continues to promote vaccines and treatment against the pandemic. The Democrat President put the access on the pill against the corona manufactured by the pharmaceutical giant pfizer which is effective to 90%, according to Joseph Robinette Biden quoting scientists. Thousands of pills will be ordered and distributed free of charge to people infected with the virus, said the Democratic leader. He also recalled that thousands of doses of vaccine against the coronavirus have been distributed to countries that do not have the capacity to obtain the vaccine.
Although he did not spend much time on this topic, Joe Biden did not forget the migration issue. He believes that it is more urgent than ever to reform the outdated American migration system. State-of-the-art technology will be installed on the border, and the number of immigration judges will be increased. But this is not enough to solve the problem, recognizes the American President who pleads for a thorough reform of the American migration system.