State of the Union 2022 - Boebert doubles down on heckle as veteran’s widow calls for her removal
As it happened: Joe Biden delivers his first State of the Union address to Congress
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Your support makes all the difference.Joe Biden has woken up an encouraging reception for his first State of the Union address, which snap polling says met with the approval of more than two-thirds of Americans – a rare bit of good news for a president whose ratings remain underwater.
Mr Biden at times received bipartisan standing applause in the House chamber last night, especially during his remarks on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked,” the president said. “He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and Nato wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready.”
However, progressives have given a lukewarm reception to the domestic elements of Mr Biden’s speech, in which he promised to “fund the police” while declining to go as far as some wanted on key issues like immigration.
Speaking on MSNBC, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that “there’s some themes that are left a little bit to be desired for key constituencies in the Democratic base, but the president’s goal was very clear on really projecting a theme of unity and I think he’s still stuck to that.”
Meanwhile, the White House has hit back at heckling from far-right Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, with Press Secretary Jen Psaki remarking that their shouting at the president “says a lot more about them” than it does about the substance of his speech.
On Covid-19:
“For more than two years, COVID has impacted every decision in our lives and the life of the nation. And I know you’re tired, frustrated and exhausted.”
“Because of the progress we’ve made, because of your resilience and the tools that we have been provied by this Congres, tonight I can say we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines.”
“Most Americans in most of the country can now be mask free,” Biden says. “And based on the projections, more of the country will reach that point across the next couple of weeks. Thanks to the progress we have made this past year, Covid-19 need no longer control our lives.”
“I know some are talking about ‘living with COVID-19’. But tonight – I say that we will never just accept living with COVID-19, we’ll continue to combat the virus...we have to say on guard.”
Biden has received several standing ovations from both sides of the aisle, the latest for “Our schools are open. Let’s keep it that way. Our kids need to be in school.”
“Let’s stop looking at COVID-19 as a partisan dividing line and see it for what it is: A God-awful disease. Let’s stop seeing each other as enemies, and start seeing each other for who we are: Fellow Americans.”
“Let’s come together to protect our communities, restore trust, and hold law enforcement accountable. That’s why my Justice Department required body cameras, banned chokeholds, and restricted no-knock warrants for its officers.”
He pledges to hire more police.
“We should all agree: The answer is not to Defund the police.”
“I know what works: investing in crime prevention and community police officers who’ll walk the beat, know the neighborhood, and restore trust and safety. We have to fund the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities.”
This received another bipartisan standing ovation.
Biden: “In state after state new laws have been passed, not only to suppress the vote — but to subvert entire elections. I call on the Senate to: pass the Freedom to Vote Act, pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and pass the DISCLOSE Act.”
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