In his annual address to Congress, Joe Biden highlights his progressive agenda, attacks Russia, and sends a message to China.

Pedro Paiva, from Washington, for Brasil 247 – The State of the Union address is the most anticipated speech of the year in American politics: it's a review, presented by the president, of the last 12 months of his administration, as well as a preview of what's to come. Joe Biden entered the Capitol on Tuesday night as a big unknown. Would the Democrat speak to Congress as a president seeking unity to deliver on important campaign promises, or as a candidate seeking to differentiate himself with the 2024 election in mind? It was a bit of both.

Behind Biden's podium, as usual, sat Kamala Harris, the Vice President of the United States, and Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House. Unlike last year's State of the Union address, the table did not consist solely of Democrats, given the Republicans' narrow victory in last year's midterm elections. Without control of both houses of Congress, Biden needs the support of opposition members to pass legislation and govern for the next two years. In a humorous tone, Biden thanked and congratulated McCarthy: "I don't want to ruin your reputation, but I look forward to working together with you," the president said, eliciting laughter from both sides of the chamber. Throughout his speech, the president also cited several laws that were passed with the support of members of both parties, such as the Infrastructure Law, which aims to inject money into the American economy and modernize the country's infrastructure.

Recent opinion polls are not favorable to Biden. According to an ABC/Washington Post survey, 41% of Americans believe they are in a worse financial situation today than they were two years ago. According to the same study, only 16% believe they are in a better situation. And it was precisely the economy that was most addressed by the president. Heavily criticized by allies and political commentators for not publicizing the government's victories enough, Joe Biden reminded viewers that the country reached its lowest unemployment rate in 50 years (3,4%), that food inflation fell, as did fuel prices, and that last year alone, 10 million Americans opened new businesses – a record number.

But the tranquility and laughter soon gave way to disagreements. A topic that currently occupies the country's main headlines heated up the atmosphere in the plenary session: the debt ceiling. The United States is approaching the legal limit on how much debt the country can incur. The White House wants Congress to raise this limit, and Biden reminded them, given the Republican resistance, that the same thing happened during Donald Trump's administration. The president stressed that not raising the ceiling could lead the country to economic disaster and took a jab at the opposition, stating that he will not yield to pressure to defund Social Security and social programs like Medicare. When he stated that some Republicans want to take money away from Social Security, Biden was booed. Taylor Greene, a Trump supporter from Georgia and representative of the far-right, repeatedly shouted: "Liar!". "I believe in conversion, I really do," Biden said, laughing in response.

Progressive agenda

And the disagreements didn't stop there. In a less conciliatory tone, and with a more candidate-like stance, Joe Biden addressed issues that appeal to the more progressive base of the Democratic Party. Speaking about the environment, Biden stated that climate change is an existential danger that will affect red and blue states, referring to the colors of the parties that alternate power in the country. The Democrat stated that the country will still need oil for the next 10 years, eliciting sarcastic laughter from Republicans. Biden advocated that Congress pass a law to guarantee the right to abortion at the federal level, just as it did regarding same-sex marriage, and stated that any federal ban would be vetoed by him. The biggest controversy, however, concerned the taxation of large fortunes. The president guaranteed that no one earning up to $400.000 a year would have a tax increase, but that the super-rich should pay more: "I am a capitalist, but pay what is fair!", he said. Without applause from the Republican side and provoking disdain from Kevin McCarthy, Biden said it was absurd that teachers and firefighters pay more taxes than billionaires.

The president also briefly addressed international affairs. With the Ukrainian ambassador in the audience, Biden condemned what he called the Russian invasion of the country and blamed Putin for the global economic consequences. Speaking about China, he stated that he wants to work with the country, but warned: "If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act," referring to the alleged spy balloon shot down this week by the American military.

Lasting 1 hour and 13 minutes, Biden spoke more than Obama did in all his speeches to Congress. The president showed strength and made clear his interest in running for re-election in 2024. On Friday, the American president will meet with President Lula at the White House, and among the topics of the meeting is democracy. Given the initial kick-off of the Democrat's re-election project, the debate will also serve to remind the country of the attacks of January 6, 2021 in Washington and January 8, 2023 in Brasília, and the consequences of the rise of the far-right and its risks to the democratic system.

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