WASHINGTON — President Biden will use his first State of the Union address on Tuesday to claim credit for a robust economy and a unified global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, even as he acknowledges the pain of inflation and the struggle between “democracy and autocracy” around the world, administration officials said on Monday.The speech, which has been in the works for months, was originally meant to focus primarily on the president’s domestic agenda, using the rare prime-time platform as a way to jump-start his stalled efforts to pass far-reaching social spending legislation.But the war in Europe that erupted last week has forced the White House to ensure that Mr. Biden’s address “reflects a moment in time,” as Jen Psaki, the press secretary, put it Monday afternoon. She said Mr. Biden will use part of his remarks to describe the administration’s efforts to prevent the Russian invasion and to impose costs on President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.“I think people can expect to hear him position that as the importance of the United States as a leader in the world, of standing up for values, standing up for global norms,” Ms. Psaki told reporters.The president has earned mostly bipartisan support for his efforts to stand up to Mr. Putin. But there has also been some criticism from both parties that Mr. Biden’s team was too slow to impose sanctions on Russia, in part because of a desire to accommodate the concerns of European nations.In response to that criticism, Mr. Biden will describe what Ms. Psaki called “steps he’s taken to build a global coalition imposing crippling financial sanctions” on Russian banks, industries, companies, wealthy oligarchs and Mr. Putin himself.But even as Mr. Biden takes note of the global crisis overseas, aides said his speech will remain focused on the two most critical issues in his presidency: the economy and the coronavirus pandemic.Mr. Biden will deliver his address to a joint session of Congress as the economy continues to recover from the pandemic-induced recession that caused millions to lose their jobs. The president will use the speech to highlight the low unemployment rate, the rapid growth in the country’s gross domestic product and the addition of more than six million jobs since he took office about a year ago.The president’s feel-good message will be tempered, however, by the growing concern about inflation, which has reached levels not seen in decades. The rising price of goods is contributing to a gloomy outlook among Americans despite the otherwise robust economic news.That gloominess has helped to drag down Mr. Biden’s approval rating just months before voters will go to the polls for congressional elections in November. White House officials and their allies on Capitol Hill fear they could lose control of both chambers if Mr. Biden is unable to turn those numbers around.“The president will absolutely use the word ‘inflation’ tomorrow,” Ms. Psaki said on Monday, calling it a “huge issue” on the minds of Americans.Live Updates: Russia-Ukraine War
Updated Feb. 28, 2022, 7:11 p.m. ETA few members of the Russian Parliament speak out against the war.The I.C.C. prosecutor says he plans to investigate possible war crimes in Ukraine.Biden administration faces pressure to let Ukrainians stay in the U.S.Mr. Biden will urge Congress to embrace parts of his Build Back Better legislation, which passed in the House last year but stalled in the Senate amid opposition from two key moderate Democrats. Those portions include proposals to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on child care, elder care and prescription drugs.The president, officials said, will argue that passage of the legislation will effectively counter the inflation that is affecting people’s everyday budgets. And Mr. Biden will urge lawmakers to confirm his nominees to the Federal Reserve Board, which has signaled that it will soon take steps to slow the country’s growth in an effort to reduce inflation.Officials said Mr. Biden will also announce new steps to confront price increases caused by a lack of competition.The administration will turn its focus to large ocean freight companies that have formed global alliances that control nearly all of the world’s critical east-west trade lines. Those companies have significantly increased their shipping rates through the pandemic, the White House said on Monday.Understand Russia’s Attack on Ukraine
Card 1 of 7What is at the root of this invasion?Russia considers Ukraine within its natural sphere of influence, and it has grown unnerved at Ukraine’s closeness with the West and the prospect that the country might join NATO or the European Union. While Ukraine is part of neither, it receives financial and military aid from the United StatesBy: Michael D. Shear
Title: In State of the Union, Biden Will Focus on Economy and Global Response to Russia
Sourced From: www.nytimes.com/2022/02/28/us/politics/biden-state-of-the-union.html
Published Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:05:58 +0000
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