A Thorny Path Ahead

A year into Joe Biden's presidency, the United States is confronted with unprecedented challenges. According to FiveThirtyEight, only 42% of the nation approves the president's work so far. The pandemic was not controlled like the administration promised, U.S. inflation is at a forty year high, and now there is a raging war in Eastern Europe for the first time since World War 2. In this context, President Biden’s State of the Union address has been keenly watched by the domestic and international community.

Background

The State of the Union (SOTU) is an annual address given by the president of the United States to Congress, in which they address the people about the most pressing issues faced by the country. President Biden's state of the union address, this time around, focused on four main aspects - the war in Ukraine, American inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic and a plan for unity.

On top of that, he spoke about his ‘progressive’ agenda, which includes expanding voting rights, transgender rights and access to abortions for women. He also mentioned two of his major successes: the COVID Relief Bill and the Infrastructure Bill, for which he was able to secure bipartisan support. However, the highlight of Biden's speech was his centrist stance on most policy issues. For example, he has refused to defund the police, which was a common rallying cry raised by activists in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder case.

Analysis

Unlike previous State of the Union addresses, this one was significantly more unified. SOTUs have always been extremely partisan, which was displayed to its extreme when Mr. Donald Trump was the President. Members of the Republican party had supported the President with standing ovations, while the opposing party had voiced its displeasure by remaining silent. However, due to the war in Ukraine this time around, there is a greater unity within the Congress. Most members of Congress are in agreement with President Biden's defiant stance against the Russians. The Ukraine war has also helped Biden to push his pro-democracy narrative.

In December 2021, President Biden had held the first-ever Summit for Democracy, in which he stressed that democratic countries need to come together against autocratic nations. With the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, he believes that more people will now opt for democracy. According to him, they would draw inspiration from Ukraine.

A significant point to note about this speech was the absence of masks, and this is not because of any anti-mask movement. It was a sign that the country is moving past the pandemic. The President was optimistic about the future, calling for the nation to get back to work. However, he urged people who have not received the vaccine, both children and adults, to get inoculated soon. He also stressed the importance of antiviral pills in fighting future waves.

Most Americans agree that the President's top priority should be to get inflation under control, which has reached a forty year high. The war in Ukraine is not helping, especially as oil prices continue to rise. Many believe that controlling inflation in the short term is impossible That being said, Biden has called for more infrastructure and innovation in America. He advocated for the supply chain to be brought back to the U.S. Instead of emphasising on inflation, he has relied on economic nationalism. The problem, however, is that production in America does not necessarily combat inflation. Although shipping costs are high, American labour is more expensive than labour from other parts of the world, so bringing in all production at home may not be the best method to combat inflation. Economic nationalism could help in different ways, but it is not necessarily the answer that the American people were looking for. Biden did mention releasing oil from strategic oil reserves, and this could help in combating increasing petrol prices. 

Although this was a more unified State of the Union address, when compared to previous ones, President Biden highlighted his accomplishments while taking a dig at the Republicans. He stressed on the infrastructure policy and his American rescue plan. Biden claimed that, unlike the previous Republican administration, his aim was not to help the rich by giving them loopholes but rather to help working-class Americans get jobs so that no one is left behind. 

The progressive wing of the Democratic Party, however, was disappointed when President Biden indicated his intention to increase funding for the police, as opposed to defunding them. In recent years, cases like the murder of George Floyd have made many Americans scrutinise the role of the police in promoting equal justice. Although President Biden has been dubbed a ‘progressive’ president by some, his stance on defending the police has attracted his fair share of critics.

Counter:

When he became President, Biden’s promise to America had been to curb the pandemic, build back the economy and foster unity. Some believe that the administration has failed on all three fronts. Even in his first state of the union, he could not address the most pressing domestic issue, namely inflation. Economic nationalism is not the solution, according to many experts.

Other than urging people to take the vaccine, Biden has also not laid a concrete plan for what he will do when successive waves of the virus hit. The U.S. is still only 65% fully vaccinated. Similarly, the President has not laid out a long-term strategy for dealing with ‘autocrats’. It remains unclear how long the Russian sanctions will continue. Whether the West will become more energy independent also remains to be seen. Finally, how the U.S. will deal with China if they invade Taiwan is anybody’s guess.

Assessment:

• The Russia-Ukraine war has fostered more unity in the U.S. Congress, compared to previous State of the Union addresses. American legislators from both parties have been unequivocal in condemning Moscow for the war.
• At the same time, Biden’s State of the Union address has failed to tackle one of the most pressing domestic issues facing the country, which is inflation.