Biden SOTU Address 2022 Promotes Optimism

In the first official State of the Union address of his presidency, the Biden SOTU Address 2022 leaned into a message of strength and optimism.

Politics
On Tuesday night, President Joe Biden appeared before a joint session of Congress and stressed unity in these uncertain times. With the COVID crisis appearing to wane, the economy beginning to bounce back, and, despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Biden said his confidence in the American people is what gives him assurance that democracy will prevail.

“Now is the hour, our moment of responsibility. Our test of resolve and conscience, of history itself. It is in this moment that our character is formed. Our purpose is found. Our future is forged,” Mr. Biden said. “I know this nation. We will meet the test. To protect freedom and liberty, to expand fairness and opportunity. We will save democracy. As hard as these times have been, I am more optimistic about America today than I have been my whole life.”

Regarding the US, the President said, “The state of the union is strong, because you, the American people, are strong.”

“We are stronger today than we were a year ago,” Mr. Biden said. “And we will be stronger a year from now than we are today. Now is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time. And we will, as one people. One America. The United States of America.”

In his remarks about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the president underscored the importance of unity against Russia within the US and among its allies.

“Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated,” Mr. Biden said. “He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead, he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people.”

His remarks received a rare bipartisan standing ovation.

However, despite Democrats and Republicans coming together on Tuesday night in support of Ukraine and its people, at least one GOP member felt the need to attempt to steal the spotlight and be on her worst behavior.

In an astonishing breach of decorum, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado yelled out at the president in the middle of remarks about the death of his son, Beau Biden, to accuse him of putting American troops in coffins.

“A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin,” Mr. Biden said. “I know —”

“You put them in, 13 of them!” Boebert screamed, referencing the 13 American service members killed in a bomb attack in Kabul during the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan last August. She was joined by fellow QAnon/MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia in an attempt to heckle the president.

Needless to say, members from both sides of the aisle turned in shock at Boebert for her outburst and let out audible gasps of “Whoa!” for her blatant lack of respect toward the President of the United States.

Interestingly, President Biden ignored the rude outburst and didn’t miss a beat with his remarks.

For the remainder of the Biden SOTU Address 2022, the president pitched his domestic agenda for the coming year and called on Congress to approve a number of his proposals which have stalled. He acknowledged that Americans are “tired, frustrated, and exhausted” with the pandemic, highlighted the CDC’s recently updated mask guidelines (which state that “most Americans in most of the country can now be mask free”), and outlined steps the US will take to “move forward safely.”

“Thanks to the progress we have made this past year, Covid-19 need no longer control our lives,” he said. “I know some are talking about ‘living with Covid-19.’ Tonight — I say that we will never just accept living with Covid-19. We will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this is a virus that mutates and spreads, we will stay on guard.”

Although the president acknowledged the difficulties the COVID crisis has created, his underlying message during the Biden SOTU Address 2022 was clear: the union and its people are strong, resilient, and united.

OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Biden SOTU Address 2022