Your guide to what Joe Biden said during the 2023 State of the Union address

ON FEBRUARY 7, 2023, President Joe Biden delivered the second State of the Union address of his presidency.

While his first State of the Union address came just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, events that became a central theme of his remarks, this year’s address is more focused on the home front.

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What did Joe Biden say about domestic politics during his State of the Union address?

Biden began his speech by congratulating the newest members of the Senate and Congress.

He stretched his hand down the aisle to congratulate new House Speaker Mitch McConnell.

He then touted the signing of over 300 bipartisan laws in the past two years, the creation of more jobs than any other president in two years, and a 50-year low in unemployment rates.

He also discussed the following:

• A record 10 million new Americans starting small businesses
• Relocation of production back to the USA
• Inflation has been falling steadily over the past six months
• Rebuilding the largest infrastructure in the world
• New laws for all federal infrastructure projects that must be done with American-made products
• The Inflation Deduction Act aims to reduce healthcare and prescription costs
• Medicare cost cap
• Working long-term on global warming and reconstruction
• Tax cuts for the middle class
• Bringing the country’s parties back together
• Stop charging junk services
• Affordable childcare for working parents
• Pay rise for public school teachers
• Reducing student debt
• Connecting students to jobs that start in high school
• Crackdown on Identity Fraud
• Equal protection for all races by police officers
• More training for police officers and first responders
• Work with doctors to help with the opioid crisis
• The start of the ARPAH drive

The president kept repeating the phrase “quit the job” in reference to his above points, from cutting health care costs to low taxes for working citizens.

He also spoke about how far we have come since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, but how we must remain vigilant.

He saluted the parents of Tire Nichols, who were killed by police officers in Memphis, Tennessee on Jan. 7, 2023.

He spoke about police brutality and those who must be held accountable – he pleaded for Congress

President Biden vowed to veto the national abortion ban.

Calling major tech companies directly, Biden stated the following:

“Stop big tech companies from collecting data on our kids.”

He expressed the need for a greater focus on children’s mental health and holding social media companies accountable.

The President also recognized his and Jill Biden’s efforts to cure cancer by igniting Cancer Moonshot.

“Our goal is to reduce the cancer mortality rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years. Converting more cancers into treatable diseases through death sentences. And provide more support for patients and families.”

He concluded the speech by promising to protect democracy.

His last statement is:

“We are the United States of America and there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together.”

What did Joe Biden say about foreign policy during his State of the Union address?

Biden also mentioned several issues related to foreign policy.

He discussed topics such as:

• Join forces with China to advance American interests.
• Stand for the sovereignty of Ukraine
• Promised to unite NATO and keep the peace

While addressing the crisis in Russia and Ukraine, Biden bought up America’s stance on democracy.

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He declared America opposed to Putin’s aggression.

Biden said in the quote:

“Our nation is working for more freedom, more dignity and more peace, not just in Europe but everywhere”

The President also addressed China. In that speech he mentioned wanting to work with the country.

“I made it clear to President Xi that we seek competition, not conflict.”

However, President Biden said that if China threatens the United States in any way, he will take action to protect US sovereignty.

What is a State of the Union address?

Every US President delivers a State of the Union address at the beginning of each calendar year.

During this annual speech, the President updates Congress and viewers from around the country on the current state of the nation.

“These speeches go through many, many drafts,” Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice and former chief speechwriter to President Bill Clinton, told the Associated Press.

During last year’s State of the Union address, Biden focused on the war in Ukraine as well as the following issues he hoped to implement:

• Falling inflation
• Creating infrastructure improvements
• Reducing prescription drug costs
• Reduce childcare costs
• Setting a minimum tax rate for companies
• Holds higher standards for nursing homes
• Increase Pell Grants and invest in community colleges
• More resources for the police
• Increasing attention and funding for the opioid epidemic
• Expanding benefits for veterans who have cancer