What is the State of the Union address?

EVERY YEAR, the President of the United States delivers an annual message during a joint session of Congress.

These messages are known as State of the Union addresses, and here we take a look at what they mean.

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What is the State of the Union address?

Earlier this year, the current President will deliver a message to Congress on the current state of the nation.

Presidents often use this time to speak about their accomplishments as well as important issues facing the nation.

The President will also propose solutions to fix these problems and give Americans a glimpse of what they have in mind over the next year.

It comes from Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that the President “shall from time to time give information to Congress as to the state of the Union and shall recommend for consideration such actions as he thinks necessary and expedient.”

The first State of the Union address was delivered by George Washington on January 8, 1970. Since then, according to the House of Representatives, there have been 98 speeches on site.

Have there been times when Presidents have not given State of the Union addresses?

Due to the vague wording of the Constitution, State of the Union addresses have varied over the years.

There was also a brief period when Presidents only wrote to Congress.

The writing tradition began in 1801 with President Thomas Jefferson, who believed that delivering a speech to Congress was too similar to practices in monarchies, according to Vox.

Jesserson’s path was followed for over a century by other presidents such as Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant and James Garfield.

It was not until Woodrow Wilson became president in 1913 that personal address was reinstated.

Since then, most presidents have delivered their State of the Union address in person, but there have been a few exceptions.

For example, President Richard Nixon sent a written message to Congress in 1973, while Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Jimmy Carter submitted their final written messages, according to Business Insider.

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When is the next State of the Union address?

President Joe Biden was sworn in on January 20, 2021 and is preparing to deliver his second State of the Union address in February 2023.

He was formally invited by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and is expected to speak on a variety of topics including inflation and gun violence.

“The new year brings a new Congress, and with it the responsibility to work toward a strong economy, a secure nation, a future built on liberty, and accountable government,” McCarthy wrote in his invitation.

“The American people sent us to Washington to reorient the country, find common ground, and discuss their priorities.”

Biden’s speech can be viewed live on February 7, 2023 from 9 p.m. EST.