'Finish the job': Biden exhorts Congress in State of Union address, says ‘optimistic’ about America’s future

New Delhi: President Joe Biden touted America’s “unbroken” democracy and resurgent economy in an optimistic State of the Union speech Tuesday, as he sought to persuade skeptical voters that at 80 he still has what it takes to takes to run for reelection. Biden’s address before Congress and tens of millions of television viewers was a chance for the Democrat, who is expected soon to announce a bid for a second term, to pitch his centrist, populist vision of a country healing after Covid and the turmoil of Donald Trump’s presidency. In a raucous prime-time speech that occasionally more resembled the British parliament’s Question Time than the staid annual US tradition, Biden eagerly took on jeering Republicans who newly control the House of Representatives. Referring to the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election by Trump, who is again seeking the White House, Biden said that the United States had survived “its greatest threat since the Civil War.” “Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken,” Biden said. From the start, the partisan divisions were clear. Democrats, including Vice President Kamala Harris, jumped to applause as Biden began his speech. New Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, though he had greeted the president warmly when he entered the chamber, stayed in his seat. Rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals, the president set out to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America’s democracy was “unbowed and unbroken.” “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,” he said, highlighting record job creation during his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden also pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states’ vital infrastructure and high tech manufacturing. And he said, “There is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.” “The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” Biden said. “And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class — to unite the country.” “We’ve been sent here to finish the job!” The president took to the House rostrum at a time when just a quarter of US adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About three-quarters say things are on the wrong track. And a majority of Democrats don’t want Biden to seek another term. He sought to confront those sentiments head-on. “You wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away, I get it,” Biden said. “That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years.” Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who gained a national profile as former President Donald Trump’s press secretary, delivered the Republican response to Biden’s speech. She focused much of her remarks on social issues, including race in business and education and alleged big-tech censorship of conservatives. “While you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day,” she said. “Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are under attack in a left-wing culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight.” With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, the White House and legislators from both parties invited guests designed to drive home political messages with their presence in the House chamber. The parents of Tyre Nichols, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis and later died, are among those seated with first lady Jill Biden. Other Biden guests included the rock star/humanitarian Bono and the 26-year-old who disarmed a gunman in last month’s Monterey Park, California, shooting. Biden drew bipartisan applause when he praised most law enforcement officers as “good, decent people” but added that “when police officers or police departments violate the public’s trust, we must hold them accountable.” Members of the Congressional Black Caucus invited family members of those involved in police incidents, as they sought to press for action on police reform in the wake of Nichols’ death. Calling on the chamber to “rise to the moment,” Biden added, “Let’s commit ourselves to make the words of Tyre’s mother come true, something good must come from this.” The speech came days after Biden ordered the military to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew brazenly across the country, captivating the nation and serving as a reminder of tense relations between the two global powers. “Make no mistake: As we made clear last week, if China’s threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country,” Biden said. “And we did.” Last year’s address occurred just days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine and as many in the West doubted Kyiv’s ability to withstand the onslaught. Over the past year, the US and other allies have sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses. Now, Biden must make the case, both at home and abroad, for sustaining that coalition as the war drags on. Biden said the invasion was “ a test for the ages. A test for America. A test for the world." “Together, we did what America always does at our best,” Biden said. “We led. We united NATO and built a global coalition. We stood against Putin’s aggression. We stood with the Ukrainian people.” With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.