Biden's State of the Union Address Emphasizes 'Economic Achievements'
Job Creation, Infrastructure Development, and More
Supply Chains to Begin in the United States
[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] The second State of the Union address outlining U.S. President Joe Biden's governance direction in the latter half of his term devoted considerable time to highlighting 'economic achievements.' He emphasized job creation and infrastructure expansion effects through the Chips and Science Act (CSA) and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, while reiterating his commitment to rebuilding supply chains. He also urged Congress to regulate Big Tech and increase taxes on the wealthy. Regarding China, with which the U.S. is engaged in overt hegemonic competition, he warned that the U.S. would take action if China threatened American sovereignty.
◆ Emphasizing Economic Achievements such as Job Creation... "Ensuring Supply Chains Start in the U.S."
President Biden delivered the State of the Union address on the night of the 7th (local time) at 9 p.m. before a joint session of Congress, lasting about 72 minutes. The U.S. president delivers this address annually as mandated by the Constitution. It is an occasion to inform the public of the broad direction of national governance and seek Congress's cooperation. This second State of the Union was about 10 minutes longer than his first, delivered last March after his inauguration.
President Biden proudly stated economic achievements first: "Two years ago, our economy was staggering, but since then, we have created a record 12 million jobs. In the past two years, we have created more jobs than any president did in four years." He said, "My vision is to restore the soul of the nation, rebuild the American middle class, which is the backbone of the country, and unite the nation," adding, "We will build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down."
Specifically, he mentioned rebuilding supply chains and reviving manufacturing. He asked, "Where is it written that America can never lead global manufacturing again?" and self-assessed, "Now, with everything we have done in the past two years, we are exporting American products and creating American jobs." He also cited that many companies, including Intel, have invested through the Chips and Science Act, raising his voice to say, "We are ensuring that America's supply chains start in America."
He recalled, "America used to produce 40% of the world's semiconductor chips, but over decades, we lost our edge, and production fell to just 10%," adding, "We all saw what happened when overseas chip factories shut down during the pandemic." He continued, "American automakers couldn't get enough chips to make enough cars. Prices rose for cars, refrigerators, and cell phones," and vowed, "We will not let that happen again."
President Biden emphasized, "We are ensuring America's supply chains start in America. Even without this law, we have already created 800,000 manufacturing jobs, but this law will add hundreds of thousands more jobs nationwide."
He also mentioned the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, saying, "To maintain the world's strongest economy, we need the world's best infrastructure." He expressed hope that the act would help unify the entire U.S., stating, "America's roads, America's bridges, America's highways will be made with American products."
Regarding his economic policy, President Biden explained, "It is about investing in forgotten people and places," adding, "We are building an economy where no one is left behind." He emphasized, "The choices we made in the past two years have brought jobs back and restored pride," calling it "a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make real changes in your lives."
On this day, President Biden also urged Congress to increase taxes on the wealthy and regulate Big Tech. He introduced the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which requires large corporations to pay a minimum 15% corporate tax, in relation to resolving the fiscal deficit. He also called for passing a minimum tax proposal on billionaires, stating, "Billionaires should not pay taxes at lower rates than school teachers or firefighters."
Regarding Big Tech regulation, President Biden demanded, "Stop large platforms from unfairly favoring their own products." He also urged the passage of bipartisan legislation to prevent the collection of personal information from children and adolescents and to impose stricter restrictions. Local media reported that President Biden became the first president since 1979 to use the term 'antitrust' in a State of the Union address.
◆ "Do Not Make Mistakes" Warning to China... Reaffirming Support for Ukraine
Warnings to China, which continues hegemonic competition, were also included in the State of the Union address. President Biden said, "I have made it clear to Chinese President Xi Jinping that we seek competition, not conflict," adding, "We promise to cooperate with China in areas where it can advance U.S. interests and benefit the world."
However, he warned, "Do not make mistakes," emphasizing, "As I made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country, and we already have." Although he did not mention it directly, this was interpreted as referring to the Chinese surveillance balloon. Earlier, the U.S. Department of Defense detected a Chinese surveillance balloon entering U.S. airspace on January 28 and shot it down on February 4. The U.S. has claimed this incident was a clear violation of sovereignty.
President Biden said, "To win the competition with China, everyone must unite," noting, "We face serious challenges worldwide." He also asserted, "Democracy has not weakened but strengthened in the past two years," and "Authoritarian regimes have not grown stronger but weaker." He said the U.S. is "reassembling the world to address challenges ranging from climate, global health, food security, terrorism, to territorial invasions." He added, "Those opposing America are learning how wrong they are."
He reaffirmed support for Ukraine, stating, "We opposed Putin's invasion. We stand with the people of Ukraine," and introduced Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., saying, "Tonight, we stand again with Ambassador Markarova." He said, "She represents not only her country but also the courage of the Ukrainian people," and declared, "America is united in support of Ukraine. We will stand with them as long as necessary." He also mentioned the global coalition built by the West, emphasizing that the U.S. has led these political, economic, and military responses.
The portion of the speech related to Ukraine was limited. This contrasts with his first State of the Union on March 1 last year, shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when President Biden devoted significant time to clearly stating that 'dictator' Putin would pay a price. Instead, this time, he focused on Western unity in response to Russia and support for Ukraine.
There was no mention of North Korea. Last year, North Korea was also not included in the address.
◆ Request for Bipartisanship from Republicans... Urging "Raise Debt Ceiling Without Conditions"
This State of the Union drew attention as it was delivered amid a divided congressional power structure following the November 8 midterm elections last year and because it outlined President Biden's direction for the latter half of his term.
Accordingly, President Biden showed a willingness to seek cooperation from the Republican Party, which holds the majority in the House of Representatives. After taking the podium for the address, he shook hands with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, and said, "I don't want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working with you." Local media noted this as a changed scene compared to 2020, when former President Donald Trump refused to shake hands with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
President Biden emphasized bipartisanship, saying, "Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict achieves nothing," and "The people have sent us a clear message. If we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we cannot work together in the new Congress."
However, he criticized Republicans' demands for spending cuts conditioned on raising the federal debt ceiling. He said, "Some of my Republican friends are trying to hold the economy hostage unless I agree with their economic plans," criticizing some Republican lawmakers' push to cut Social Security and Medicare budgets targeting seniors.
President Biden stressed the need to raise the debt ceiling unconditionally, saying, "Let's promise here tonight that the full faith and credit of the United States will never be doubted." He noted, "Nearly 25% of the national debt accumulated over 200 years occurred during the previous (Donald Trump) administration," and asked, "How did Congress respond to that debt? They raised the debt ceiling three times without conditions or crises." He added, "They paid America's bills to prevent an economic disaster," and said, "I ask Congress to follow that example today," urging the debt ceiling increase.
He also requested that Republicans work together on issues such as immigration, guns, and abortion?major issues traditionally divided along party lines. Climate change was briefly addressed with mention of the Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, President Biden mentioned measures on social safety nets, fentanyl response, and public safety, topics on which local media reported he received considerable support even from Republicans.
At the end of his speech, President Biden delivered a message of hope, saying, "We are not bystanders of history," and "If we stand together, there is nothing beyond our ability."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
