Transcripts For KQED PBS 20240704

For the future should voters elect them to a second term. Geoff joining us in the studio art amy walter, editor and chief of the cook political board or, david brooks, a columnist for the new york times, and jenna capehart, associate editor of the washington post. Amna our White House Correspondent is a capitol just outside the chamber and at least that is inside the House Chamber and joins us for congressional rules by audio only. Geoff lets start with the lower end as we keep our eye trained on the floor. How was the white house aiming to use this piece tonight for President Biden to convey his vision for the future but also reconnect with key parts of his coalition . President biden has three main dreams when giving his third state of the Union Address. One of those is the defending of democracy at home and abroad. He will revisit the events of january sixth as well as talk about comparisons to ukraine and what is happening abroad there. He also plans on defending individual freedoms, talking about abortion access, ivf access as well as contraception access, and likely he will build upon his Economic Vision and essentially talk about what he would do with another four years. People inside the white house i have spoken to said they viewed this speech is what they describe as the starting gun of 2024. You will hear him draw a lot of contrast with former President Trump although not name him but referred to him as his predecessor. People inside the white house told they are eager to see the president spontaneously react if House Republicans heckle him. At his last date of the Union Address he had an interaction with them regarding Social Security that the white house staff was very pleased with, so they are preparing for more interactions like that. Amna we are keeping one eye inside the chamber. You see of course both parties, both houses of congress are in that Chamber Tonight. Many key legislative issues remain stuck in partisan gridlock like immigration and border reform as well as ukraine aid, but all the members are together tonight as well as Key Administration and government officials. We are keeping an idc when the house sergeant of arms will announce the arrival of the president of the United States. Laura, you mentioned this is the first time we will be hearing from President Biden since the race has officially become a rematch of 2020. It is not a political speech, but tell us more about the vision he will lay out for a potential second term. Correspondent that is right, it is not a political speech, but the president is definitely going to try to strike as many contrast as possible with republicans as well as with his predecessor, and on that front he will be urging congress to take up the bipartisan border deal, which was stalled because House Republicans did not want to vote for it. He will really Pressure Congress to pass funding for ukraine, urging them to support that democracy abroad, and he will also make some new policy proposals. He will talk about raising the Corporate Tax rate by 20 and also propose offering firsttime homebuyers a 5,000 tax credit and will talk about his past accomplishment, so lowering Prescription Drug prices for seniors and say he wants to do that for all americans as well as putting the cap on the price of insulin, which right now just applies to medicare recipients of but he wants that applied to all americans. It are parts of his agenda that he will lay out as well as showing some empathy i am told by white house sources and acknowledgment of the number of people that have died in gaza and of what palestinians are going through, and on that front he is going to announce a new humanitarian aid action of building upward on the gazan coast to get more dire humanitarian aid to people who needed. Geoff we have been seeing female members of congress of the Democratic Party wearing white continuing a years long tradition of color coordinating their outfits. Earlier we saw sitting in the back of the house floor expelled new york congressman george santos. As a former member of congress he still has access to the floor provided to all former members of congress and he threw his own volition decided to show up today. Walter, we should save residents typically deliver their state of the Union Addresses earlier in the year, but this year is different in that the president is delivering his remarks to congress at a time when his reelection bid is fully underway. We literally kicked off the election tuesday talking about the general election being said set, and we do not see that when we have a state of the union. It is about what could have been legislatively going forward, and we know where things stand right now this is been the least Productive Congress in modern american history. There is not much likely to unjam this congress so he is talking to a body that will be doing little to nothing on these priorities, so it is much more about messaging what he would like to see not just for the next year but the next four years rather than imploring those sitting in front of him to help move an agenda. Amna jonathan, this is likely to be may be the most watch a moment of the 2024 campaign so far and millions of americans will tune in to what President Biden has to say tonight. How should he prioritize the issues in terms of convincing people and raising some of those low enthusiasm numbers among skeptical democrats that this is the guy they need to show up . Those at skeptical voters figuring out whether they want to vote for joe biden are not necessarily looking for a particular policy unless it is the folks for whom gaza is there single issue. A majority of democratic voters will be looking at the president and watching the performance. They want to see whether he has perform the job well, which to my mind i think he is going to record your turn on to run on, and you will talk about that tonight, but he has to convey the image even though i am 81 i have got this. I agree, i am looking for orneryness. A year ago he got in a backandforth with republicans on the floor, and people consider that one of his best nights. I am also looking for a little poetry and narrative. People will not agree with your facts if they do not believe your story. It will be useful to have an overarching narrative that people could relate to and there has to be some poetry there, so we will see if we get some sort of narrative, and there is a debate among democrats whether she should play up the good of economy is, and some including everyone in the administration say yes. Others who are veteran correspondence a people are upset, do not tell them how happy they are going to be. Amna i imagine much of the achievements she will tout have to do with the economy, which is objectively getting better. I have always thought he would eventually benefit, and Consumer Confidence is way up but support for joe biden is not , so i am beginning to doubt my own theory. Amna together important piece about his speech like this, this is not a political speech. This is an official speech as president of the United States, but for democrats hitting not just in the audience but all around the country who need to understand what their marching orders are, what their narrative is, what the messaging framework is going to be, this is an opportunity for him to do that so when they go out and say what is this election going to be about . I keep hearing about this and they said this. This is the pathway. To davids point and the president afford to deliver a laundry list tonight . I did not think that is what folks are interested in hearing. The contrast will be so much of what we will hear for the rest of the campaign, but also what we have seen quite frankly during his time as president and the clashes that he and democrats have with republicans, what their vision is were moving certain policies in this country. We have just been receiving the speaker emerita and i believe we are said to care from the sergeant at arms. Lets go straight to the floor. [applause] amna members of the president s cabinet entering the chamber. Secretary of state Antony Blinken followed closely by [indiscernible] secretary of defense lloyd austin. Geoff attorney general merrick garland. Amna these cabinet members will make them down into their seats. We expect them to be followed closely by the president and sitting behind the president will be Vice President Kamala Harris and speaker of the house of mike johnson, who was chosen to lead House Republicans after Kevin Mccarthys ouster. That is a highprofile seat there. There was a camera on you the entire time, but sometimes those cameras tend to create their own moments in state of the union past. Remember nancy pelosi ripping up the speech. We will be looking for some of those moments. Theyre could be that kind of interaction between the president and may some House Republicans as we lost as we saw last year. It gives him a chance to show that he is energetic and vigorous end out there. Is there a change in rhetoric or flourish you are looking for the could really stand out from previous speeches . I am always looking for that, but with this speech i am looking to the reactions not just from republicans, but i was looking at the guests who will be in the first ladys box. One of them is a woman named betty and she is known as the voice of selma. She was there on bloody sunday 59 years ago today. She is a singer, and she is a powerful singer. One thing i am hoping happens is that she continues to follow the type, which is what she does on the pilgrimage, she burst into song on the bus, on the churches , singing their freedom songs and the songs that they sang on the marches. Imagine how powerful that would be if that were to happen tonight . That is the one thing that probably will not happen, but if it does, it would change things. I just think it would. We just learned secretary of education is the designated survivor tonight and we are also told lisa is with us. You might be able to see her in this shot that we have on our screen. Give us a sense of what you were seeing and help us understand the mood in the room. Correspondent it is a different mood than most of the state of the unions i have experienced. It feels like there is less excitement, it feels like a less probable electricity than what we usually get. Is that the mood of the country . Exhaustion that these lawmakers who put themselves through . I dont know. If you look at the symbolism in the room, a big characteristic of the visuals, we see the Democratic Women in white on reproductive rights and ibf, but for the republicans they have dried unified symbolism before, but they did not this year. They have some pins about the biden border crisis and others about the nurse killed in georgia, but it is a sense of lets get through this rather than lets be excited for this. I am eager to see if there might be some empty seats as well. It looks like there are fewer than in most years. Geoff we see Lauren Boebert. Help us understand the message House Speaker mike johnson has given to the far right wing of the party in terms of decorum tonight. Correspondent she has someone we may see again during this speech. House Speaker Mike Johnson told republicans please do not shout out, do not interrupt this speech. We want to take on joe biden on policy issues and beat him at the ballot box, but clearly Lauren Boebert is someone who went out of the way even my pastor does not sit down to tell me to be quiet at church, so there are republicans we have seen burst out. Marjorie Taylor Greene another one. I spoke to the representative earlier today and said are you planning any outburst, and she said i am not planning anything, but there was a mood of vegetation among House Republicans that is been here for several years that is part of the trump persona especially present in the House Republican caucus, and the white house is ready for it and brought out some of the best moments in President Biden in his speech last year. Someone asked me what is my number four outbursts, and i said three. It used to be zero. This is the kind of House Republican congress that is ready the president of the United States. [applause] amna and now President Biden as entered the chamber and is making what can be an extended walk. This is very much a home game for him. He was in the senate so they consider this a way territory. He is a lifelong politician and should begin speaking within an hour and a half, but he loves this. We expect the president tonight to Start Talking about freedom and democracy. He Still Believes that is a resident message especially for this campaign. I think it is. The world is in a conflict between democracy and global and domestic barbarism. Some people want to play by the rules and some people like Vladimir Putin want to bend the rules, so that is the big story of the election and joe bidens presidency and to guess right to filter things through that prism. The fact that this speech is happening today on the 59th anniversary of bloody sunday gives him the opportunity to not only defend democracy but talk about how democracy is vital to the promise of america and how john lewis and the 600 other people, black men, women, and children who left the church in selma and crossed over the Edmund Pettus bridge only to be changed back over by Alabama State troopers because they were trying to march to montgomery to demand the right to vote. You cannot be fully american, you cannot fully participate in democracy if you do not have a voice and that democracy, so i am looking forward to the president drawing that line from 59 years ago today to the battle that we are facing right now about overall will of the United States continue to be a democracy where every person eligible to vote can vote and everyone who votes as their votes counted, and it cannot work in the United States, then how can you be expected to work around the world . This idea of american democracy being at risk is central to his 2020 campaign and remains central to this 2024 campaign for President Biden. In terms of where voters are and how they see that as a voting issue, something motivational to them, where does that ring . That is why the term freedom is when they are using because it can encompass a bunch of different topics. There are some people for whom the topic of democracy, the issues surrounding what happened on january 6 and the president s conduct around and leading up to january 6 our centerpiece. We saw this in 2022 where the candidates running on similar platform as the president talking about an election that was rigged, denying the results of the election, that did not work as a Campaign Message for republicans in 2022 and it is likely to fall flat for this election and why democrats want to put that in the mainframe. The issue of abortion, when you talk to democrats and republicans, they will tell you the challenge republicans if that is this issue is not seen as aedical issue or within the confines the politicians want to put it into talking about certain limits on the practice of certain weeks, but that it is about freedom itself, this idea that women had a right that is no longer available to them, and so that is where you were seeing this conversation about freedom can go in many different ways. It is important to understand we are televising this, but how people get their information these days, they have millions of different channels, so when the Biden Campaign they focus on the freedom agenda being targeted to different voters on different types of issues whether it is Voting Rights, democracy, abortion access, and health care. As we talked about joe biden being a creature of the senate he was just shaking hands with senator joe manchin and mitt romney. President biden is expected to talk about health care and is offered to bring down the cost of Prescription Drugs. When you talk about Kitchen Table issues but that should be issue number one. When we talk a the issue of the economy, for many people the economy is health care and whatever the cost of prescription coverage drugs and they cannot cover their Overall Health care costs. What you will also cure may be from the president is were public and attempts to roll back the Affordable Care act. In the 2012 election obviously that was the first election since obamacare had been asked passed. It was toxic. Now here we are now you have a democratic president who is going to run on republicans trying to take it away. And how many times during the Trump Administration did congress try to repeal obama care . We are going to watch the president deliver this address just two days after super tuesday. We were all spending that evening together, and jonathan, david, we saw the results coming in, and although President Trump dominated on the republican side, President Biden dominated. There were weaknesses revealed. You would expect them address those head on . Are there moments and address tonight that could actually pull right to some of those weaknesses that were shown to us on super tuesday . I think he is going to make a blame for trying to talk to the base and people in the country for his administrations handling of the israelhamas war and the crisis happening in gaza. He will try to address that in an empathetic way, but also think he will make a page for those people in the republican primary who voted for nikki haley, and to guess been doing that. If you voted for nikki haley, take a look at us, because we are at defenders of democracy. These speeches are always to various constituencies, and this speech tonight will be the same but the stakes are higher. How does she message to those independence . Outside the white house i have spoken to democrats and ranges from dread to despair. Inside the white house they think they have got this. For those of us who pay close attention to President Biden, a lot of this will seem like what he does, but the audience is bigger. Geoff here now is the president of the United States delivering his speech to the House Speaker and another one for the Vice President of the United States as we are said to cure shortly from President Biden as he delivers his third state of the union. [applause] [cheers and applause] pres. Biden thank you. Amna President Biden taking in the chamber there. Any moment now will begin to deliver this, his third state of the union. In his first he went just a little over one hour. His second, all the longer, one hour and 30 minutes. Pres. Biden if i were smart i would go home now. [applause] mr. Speaker, madam Vice President , members of congress, my fellow americans, in january 1941 Franklin Roosevelt came to this chamber to speak to the nation, and he said i address you at a moment unprecedented in the history of the union. Hitler was was on the march, work was raging in europe. President roosevelts purpose was to alert the American People that this was no ordinary time. Freedom and democracy were under assault in the world. Tonight, i come to this same chamber to address the nation. Now it is we who face of unprecedented moment in the history of the union, and, yes, my purpose tonight is to wake up the congress and alert the American People that this is no ordinary moment either. Not since president lincoln and the civil war have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today, it makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack both at home and overseas at the very same time. Overseas, putin is on the march invading ukraine ensuing chaos throughout europe and beyond. If anybody in this room thanks putin will stop at ukraine, i assure you he will not. [applause] but Ukraine Ukraine can stop putin. Ukraine can stop putin if we stand with ukraine and provide the weapons that it needs to defend itself. [applause] that is all that is all ukraine is asking. They are not asking for american soldiers. In fact, there are no american soldiers that were in ukraine, and i am determined to keept that way, but now assistance to ukraine is being blocked by those that want to walk away from our world leadership. It was not long ago when the republican president named Ronald Reagan thundered, mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall. Now [applause] now my predecessor, a former republican president tells putin, do whatever the hell you want. That is a quote. The former actually said that, bowing down to a russian leader. I think it is dangerous, it is outrageous, and it is unacceptable. [applause] america is a Founding Member of nato. The military alliance of democratic nations created after world war ii to prevent war and keep the peace, and today we have made nato stronger than ever. We welcomed finland to the Alliance Last year, and just this morning sweden officially joined, and their minister is here tonight. Stand up. [applause] welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome. [applause] and they know how to fight. Mr. Prime minister, welcome to nato, the Strongest Military alliance the world has ever seen. I say this to congress, we have to stand up to putin. Send me a Bipartisan National Security bill. History is literally watching. History is watching. If the United States walks away, it will put ukraine at risk. Europe is at risk. The free world will be at risk for building others to do what they wish to do sr. My message of president putin is simple. We will not walk away. [applause] we will not bow down. I will not bow down. In a literal sense, and is watching. History is watching. Just like us watch three years ago on january 6 when insurrectionist during this very Capitol Building and placed a dagger to the third of american democracy. Many of you were here on that darkest of days. We all saw with our own eyes the insurrectionist were not patriots. They had come to stop the peaceful transfer of power, to overthrow the will of the people. January 6 lies about the 2020 election and the plot to steal the election posed the greatest threat to u. S. Democracy since the civil war, but they failed. America stood. [applause] america stood strong, and democracy prevailed. And lets be honest, the threat to democracy must be defended. My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about january 6. I will not do that. This is a moment to speak the truth and the bury the lies. Here is the simple truth. You cannot love your country only when you win. [applause] as i have done ever since being elected office, i ask all of you without regard to party to join together and defend democracy. Remember your oath of office, defending against all threats both foreign and domestic, respect free and Fair Elections and restore trust in our institutions, and to make clear Political Violence is absolutely no place, no place in america, zero place. [applause] again, it is not hyperbole to suggest that history is watching. Your children and grandchildren will read about this day and what we do. History is watching another assault on freedom. Joining us tonight is a social worker from birmingham, alabama, 14 months ago she gets her husband welcomed a baby girl thing to the miracle of ivf. She scheduled treatment to up that second child with the Alabama Supreme Court shutdown ivf treatment across the United States unleashed by a Supreme Court decision overturning roe v. Wade. She was told her dream would have to wait, but what her family gone through should never have happened, so tonight but stand up for family slickers hers into my friends across the aisle, dont keep us waiting any longer. Guarantee the right to ivf. Aaron to get nationwide guarantee it nationwide. [applause] like most americans i believe roe v. Wade got it right. I think Vice President harris were being an incredible leader of defending reproductive freedom and so much more. [applause] thank you. My predecessor came to office determined to see roe v. Wade overturned. He is the reason it is overturned, and he brags about it. Look at the chaos that has resulted. Join us tonight is a wife and mother from dallas. She became pregnant again and had a fetus with the fatal condition. Her doctor told kate that her own life and her ability to have children in the future were at risk if she did not act. Because texas law banned her ability to act kate and her husband had to leave the state to get what you needed. When her family have gone through should never have happened as well, what is happening to tim being to too many others. Criminalizing doctors, forcing survivors of rape and incest to leave their states to get the treatment that they need. Many of you in this chamber and my predecessor are promising to pass a national ban on the reproductive freedom. What freedom else would you take away . The decision to overturn the roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority with the following, and with all due respect, women are not without electoral power. Electoral or political power. You are about to realize just how much. [applause] clearly, clearly those bragging about overturning roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women, but they found out reproductive freedom was on the ballot. We won in 2022 and 20 20 and we will win again in 2024. If you and the American People send me a congress that supports the right to choose, i promise you i will restore roe v. Wade as the law of the land again. [applause] folks, america cannot go back. I am here tonight to show what i believe is the way forward because i know how far we have gone. 40 years ago next week before i came to office, the country was hit by the worst pandemic and the worst economic crisis of the century. Remember the fear, record losses , remember the spikes in crime and the murder rate, outraging virus that took more than one million american lives of loved ones, many of us left behind . A Mental Health crisis of isolation and loneliness. The president , my predecessor failed the most basic president ial duty that he owes to the American People, the duty to care. I think that is unforgivable. I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in the nation history. It doesnt make news but in a thousand cities and towns the American People are writing the greatest comeback story never told. [applause] so lets tell the story here. Kelly here and now. Americas comeback is building the future of american possibilities, building an economy from the middle out at the bottom up, not the top down, investing in allamericans to make sure everyone has a fair shot. We leave no one behind. The pandemic no longer controls our lives. The vaccine that saved us from covid and are now being used to be cancer, turning step back and come back. That is what america does. [applause] that is what america does. Folks, i inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now our economy is the envy of the world. 50 million new jobs and just three years, a record. Unemployment at a 50 year low. A record 16 million americans are starting a new business, and each one is a literal active hope. The historic job growth and Business Growth for hispanics, blacks, and asian americans. Where is it written we cannot be the manufacturing capital of the world . We are, we will. More people have Health Insurance today than ever before. The ratio of the wealth gap is a small it is has been in 20 years. Inflation has dropped from 9 to 3 , the lowest in the world and trending lower. The landing is and will be soft, and now instead of importing foreign products at a sporting american jobs we are exporting American Products and creating american jobs right here in america they belong. [applause] and it takes time, but the American People are beginning to feel it. Consumers are show Consumer Confidence is soaring. Buy america as been the law of the land since the 1930s. Past administrations including my predecessor and some democrats as well failed to buy american. Not anymore. On my watch federal projects that you find like helping to build american roads, bridges, and highways will be made to buy American Products and built by american workers. [applause] creating good paying american jobs. And thanks to our chips in science act, the United States is investing more into research and development than ever before. During the pandemic shortage of semiconductors, chips that drove up the price of everything from cell phones to automobiles, and by the way, we invented those chips in america. Instead of having to import them, Thriving Companies are investing billions of dollars to build new chip factories in america creating tens of thousands of jobs. Many of those jobs paying 100,000 a year and do not require a college degree. [applause] in fact, my policies have attracted 650 billion in private Sector Investment in advanced manufacturing creating tens of thousands of jobs here in america. And thanks to our bipartisan infrastructure law, 46,000 new projects have been announced across your communities. By the way, i noticed some of you who voted against it are cheering on that money coming in. I am with you. [shouting] if any of you dont want that money in your district just let me know. Bridges, ports, airports, Public Transit systems, removing poison is the lead pipe so every child can drink water without risking brain damage. [applause] providing affordable highspeed internet for every american to matter where you live, urban, suburban, Rural Communities in red states and blue states, record investments and travel communities because of my investment in family farms. Led by my secretary of agriculture who knows more about this than anybody i know, we are better able to stay in the family so children and grandchildren will not need to leave home to make a living. The great comeback story is built here in illinois, home to an auto plan for nearly 60 years. Before i came to office the plant was on its way to shutting down. Thousands of workers feared for their livelihoods. Hope was fading, and i was elected to office and i raise the bvedere repeatedly with auto companies. The uaw work like hell to keep the plan open and together we succeeded. Instead of the factory setting down, new stateoftheart battery factories are being built. [applause] folks, to the folks of belvedere i say instead of your child being left behind your community is moving forward again. Instead of watching auto jobs of the future go overseas, or thousand union jobs with higher wages are building the future and belvedere right here in america. [applause] here tonight, is uaw president shawn fain. Where are you . Stand out. [cheering] and the thirdgeneration uaw worker at belvedere. I was proud to be the first president to stand at the picket line, and today dawn has a good job in a good hometown providing stability for a family and pride and dignity as well, showing once again wall street did not built america. They are not bad guys, they did not build it though. You did and unions built the middle class. [applause] i say to the American People when america gets knocked down, we get back up. We keep going. That is america. That is you the American People. It is because if you america is coming back, our future is brighter. It is because of you that tonight we can probably say the state of our union is strong and getting stronger. [applause] [chanting four more years] tonight i want to talk about the future of possibilities that we can build together. A future were the days of trickledown economics are over and the wealthy and because corporations no longer get all the tax breaks. I come from a state that is more corporations than everyone of your estate your states and the other states combined. I am not anticorporation, but i grew up in a home where trickledown economics did not put much on the Kitchen Table. I determined to turn things around to the middle class does well. The poor and the wealthy still do well. We all do well, and there is more to do to make sure we are feeling the benefits of all we are doing. Americans pay more for Prescription Drugs than anywhere in the world. It is wrong, and i am ending it. [applause] i proposed and signed, not one of your republican buddies voted for it, we finally be big pharma. Instead of paying 400 a month for insulin, it only cost 10 to make, they get paid 35 a month and still make a healthy profit. What to do next, i went to cap the cost of insulin at 35 per month for every american who needs it. Everyone. [applause] for years, people have talked about it, but finally we got it done and gave medicare the power to negotiate lower prices on Prescription Drugs just like the v. A. Is able to do for veterans. That is not just saving seniors money. It is saving taxpayers money. We cut the federal deficit by 160 billion, becuase mdeicare will no longer have to pay those exorbitant prices to big pharma. This year medicare is negotiating lower prices for some of the cost to construct in the market that treat everything from Heart Disease to arthritis. It is now time to give medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for 500 different drugs. At they are making a lot of money, guys. And they will still be extremely profitable. It will not only save lives, it will save taxpayers another 200 billion. The same log caps total Prescription Drug costs for seniors on medicare at 2000 a year. Even for expensive cancer drugs that cause 10,000, 15,000. I went to cap Prescription Drug cost at 2000 a year for everyone. Folks, i am going to get in trouble for saying that but anyone who went to get into air force one and fly to toronto, berlin, even moscow probably, and bring your prescription with you and i promise i will get it to you for 40 the cost you were getting it, same company, same drug, same place. The Affordable Care act, obamacare is still a very big deal. [applause] over 100 million of you can no longer be denied Health Insurance because of preexisting conditions, but my predecessor and many in this chamber want to take those away by repealing the Affordable Care act. Im not gonna let that happen. [applause] we stopped to 50 times before, and we will stop you again. In fact i am not only protecting it. I am expanding it. The connected tax credits of 800 per person per year to reduce health costs for millions of American Families, docs that tax credit expires next year. I want to make the savings permanent. [applause] and state the obvious, women are more than half our population. Research in Womens Health has always been underfunded. That is why we are launching the first ever White House Initiative on Womens Health research led by jill doing an incredible job as first lady. [applause] we will pass my plan which will begin dollars of Womens Health research and benefit lives all across america. I know the cost of housing is so important to you. Inflation keeps coming down mortgages will come down as well, and the fed acknowledges that. I am not waiting. I want to provide an annual tax credit that will give americans 400 a month for the next two years as Mortgage Rates come down to put that their mortgages when they buy their first home or trade up for a little more space. Just for two years. [applause] and my administration is also eliminating Title Insurance on federally backed mortgages. When you refinance your home you can save 1000 or more as a consequence. For millions of renters who are cracking down on big landlords to use to break antitrust laws by pricefixing and driving up rents, we have cut red tape so building can give federal financing which is already helping build a record 1. 7 million new Housing Units nationwide. [applause] now passed. Pass and build and renovate 2 million Affordable Homes and bring those rents down. [applause] to remained the strongest economy in the world, we need to have the best Education System in the world. [applause] and i like i suspect all of you want to give a child, every child a good start by providing access to preschool for 3 and 4 years old. I think i pointed out last year i think i pointed out last year that children coming from broken homes where there are no books and are not written or spoken too often enough start school, kindergarten, or first grade having heard a million fewer words spoken. Studies show that Children Food go to preschool or 50 more likely to finish high school, go on to earn a two year or four year degree no matter what their background is. [applause] i met 1. 5 years ago with the leaders of the business roundtable. They were mad they were angry, well they were discussing why i wanted to spend money on education. I pointed out the out to them, that i met with 182 of tho se folks, and i asked them what they need most with ceos. They say a better educated workforce, right . So i looked at them and i come from delaware. Dupont used to be the eighth Largest Corporation in the world, and they educated the workforce of the enterprise, but none of you do that anymore. Why are you angry with me providing you with the opportunity for the best educated workforce in the world. They all looked at me and said i think you were right. I want to expand high quality tutoring and Summer Learning to see that every child learns to read by third grade. [applause] i am also connecting local businesses in high schools so students get handson experiences and effect of a good paying job whether or not they go to college, and i want to make sure that college is more affordable. Lets continue increasing pell grants to working middleclass families and increase work investments at hbcus and minority serving institutions including hispanic institutions. I was told i could not universally just change the way it which you dealt with student loans. I fixed two student loan programs that already existed to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly 4 million americans including nurses, firefighters, and others in public service. Like keenan jones, a public educator in minnesota that is here with us tonight. Thank you. He has educated hundreds of students so that they can go to college. Now he is able to help get his own daughter to college. [applause] and, folks, look, relief is good for the economy because folks are able to buy a home, start a business, start a family. While we are at it, i want to give Public School teachers or raise. [applause] by the way, the first couple of years we cut the deficit. Now let me speak to the question of fundamental fairness for all americans. I have been delivering real results in fiscally responsible ways. We have already cut the federal deficit over 1 trillion. I signed a bipartisan deal to cut another 1 trillion and the next decade. It is my goal to cut the federal deficit another 3 trillion by making Big Corporations and the wealthy to finally begin paying their fair share. [applause] look, i am a capitalist. You want to make millions and millions of bucks, that is great. Just pay your fair share in taxes. A fair tax code is how we invest in things to make this country great, and health care, education, defense, and so much more. The last administration enacted it to trillion dollars tax cut overwhelmingly benefiting the top 1 , at very wealthy and the biggest corporation and exploded the federal deficit. They added more to the National Debt than any president ial term in american history. Check the folks at home, does anybody really think the tax code is fair . You really think the wealthy and Big Corporations need another 2 trillion tax break . I sure dont. Im going to keep fighting like hell to make it fair. Under my plan, nobody earning less than 400,000 dollars will pay an additional penny and federal taxes. They havent yet. In fact, the Child Tax Credit i passed during the pandemic cut taxes for millions of working families and cut Child Poverty in half. Restore that Child Tax Credit. No child should go hungry in this country. The way to make the tax code bear is to make Big Corporations begin to pay their fair share. Remember 2020, 55 Biggest Companies in america made 40 billion and paid zero in federal income tax. Zero. Not anymore. The companys have to pay a minimum 15 . That is still less then working people pay in federal taxes. Its time to raise corporate minimum tax to at least 21 . So every Big Corporation finally begins to pay their fair share. I also want to end tax breaks to big pharma, big oil, massive executive pay where a Million Dollars can be deducted. End it now. There are 1000 billionaires in america. You know what the atul average federal tax is for those billionaires . They are making great sacrifices. 8. 2 . Thus far less than the vast majority of americans pay. No billionaire should pay a lower federal tax rate than a teacher, a sanitation worker, or a nurse. I propose a minimum tax of billionaires of 25 . You know what that would raise . That would raise 500 billion over the next 10 years. Imagine what that could do for america. Imagine a future with affordable childcare. Millions of families can get the help they need to go to work and grow the economy. Imagine a future with health care and eldercare and people with disabilities can stay in their home and family caregivers can finally get the help they deserve. Tonight lets once agree all agree once again to stand up for seniors. Many of my friends on the others out of the isle want to put Social Security on the chopping block. Anyone who tries to cut Social Security or medicare or raise the retirement age, i will stop it. The working people who built this country pay more into Social Security than millionaires and billionaires do. Its not fair. We have two ways to go. Republicans can cut Social Security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy. Thats the proposal. You guys dont want another 2 trillion tax cut . I kind of thought thats what your plan was. Thats good to hear. Youre not going to cut another 2 trillion, thats good to hear. I will protect and strengthen Social Security and make the wealthy pay their fair share. Too many corporations raise prices to pad the profits. Charging more and more for less and less. Thats worth catching down and corporations who engage in price gouging and deceptive pricing. In fact, the snacks Companies Think you wont notice if they change the size of the bag. Same size bag, put fewer chips in it. Im not joking. It is called shrinkflation. Past bobby caseys bill and stop this. I really mean it. You probably also that commercial on snickers bars. You get charged the same amount and youve got 10 fewer snickers in it. Look, im also getting rid of junk fees. Thereat the end of the bill without your knowledge. And cutting credit card late fees from 32 to eight dollars. Banks and Credit Card Companies are allowed to charge what it costs them to instigate collection, and thats more like eight dollars. They dont like it, Credit Card Companies dont like it, but im saving American Families 20 billion a year with all the junk fees im eliminating. Folks home, thats why the banks are so mad, 20 billion of profit im not stopping there. My ministration will propose rules to make cable, online utilities tell you the full price upfront so there are no surprises. It matters. So does this. In november, my team again serious negotiations with a Bipartisan Group of senators. The result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of Border Security reforms weve ever seen. You dont think so . You dont like that bill, huh . That conservatives got together and said it was a good bill. Ill be darned, thats amazing. 100 more Immigration Judges to help tackle the back load of twominute cases. 4300 more assign officers and policy so they can resolve cases in six months instead of six years now. What are you against . 100 more high tech drug detection machines to significantly increase ability to screen and stop vehicles smuggling fentanyl into the United States thats killing thousands of children. It will also give me an any new president new Emergency Authority to temporarily shut down the border. The Border Patrol unit endorses the bill. The federal chamber of commerce look at the facts. I know you know how to read. I believe that given the opportunity for theajority of house and senate would endorse the bill as well. The majority rightow. But unfortunately, politics has derailed this bill so far. Im told my predecessor called members of congress and the senate to demand they block the bill. He feels it would be a political win for me in a political loss for him. Its not about me and is not about him. Lincoln riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. Thats right. But how many thousands of people are killed by legals. To her parents, my heart goes out to you, having lost children myself, i understand. But look, if we change the dynamic at the border, people pay people, people pay the smugglers 8,000 to get across the border because they know if they get in the country its 68 years before a hearing in his work taking a chance. But if its only six months, six weeks, the idea it is highly unlikely people will pay that money and come all that way knowing they will be kicked out quickly. I would respectfully suggest my republican friends out to the American People, get this bill done. We need to act now. And if my predecessor is watching, instead of playing politics, pressuring members of congress to block the bill, join me in telling the congress to pass it. We can do it together. But apparently heres what he will not do. I will not demonize immigrants saying they are poisoning the blood of our country. I will not separate families. I will not ban people because of their faith. Unlike my predecessor my first day in office not a comprehensive bill to fix immigration, secure the border, provide a pathway to citizenship for dreamers, and so much more. I know who we are as american. We are the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new. Home to a native americans and ancestors who have been here for thousands of years. Home to people from every place on earth that came freely. Some came in chains. Some came with famine, struggling like my ancestral family in ireland. Some from persecution, to chase dreams that are not possible anywhere in the world but here. That is america. We all come from somewhere, but we are all americans. Look, folks, we need a simple choice. We can find about fixing the border, or we can fix it. Im ready to fix it. Send me the border bill now. A transformational moment in history. 59 years ago in selma alabama, hundreds of protesters for just as marcia crossed the Edmund Pettis bridge, named after the grand dragon of the ku klux klan, to claim their fundamental right to vote. They were beaten, they were bloodied and left for dead. My late friend and former colleague john lewis was on that march. We miss him. Joining us tonight are other marchers, both in the gallery and on the floor, including betty mae fox, known as the voice of thelma. The daughter of gospel singers and preachers, she sang songs of prayer and protest on that bloody sunday. Five months later, the Voting Rights act passed and was signed into law. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. But 59 years later, there are forces taking us back in time. Voter suppression, election subversion, unlimited dark money, extreme gerrymandering. John lewis was a great friend to many of us here. If you truly want to honor him and all the heroes who marched with him, then its time to do more than talk. Past the freedom to vote act. And stop denying another core value of america, our diversity across american life. Banning books is wrong. Instead of erasing history, lets make history. I want to protect fundamental rights, past the equality act. Gay and transgender americans, i have your back. Past the proactive workers rights. Raise the federal minimum wage. Every worker has a right to a decent living, more than seven dollars an hour. Also make history by confronting the Climate Crisis, not denying it. I dont think any of you any longer think there isnt a Climate Crisis, at least i think you dont. Im taking the most significant action on history ever. Im cutting our Carbon Emissions in half by 2030, creating tens of thousands of clean energy jobs, installing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations. Conserving 30 of americas lands and waters by 2030. Taking action on environmental justice, fence line communities smothered by the legacy of pollution. Patterned after the peace corps and america core, im launching the Climate Court to put 20,000 young people to work at the forefront of our clean energy future. All triple that number in a decade. I will triple that number in a decade. To state the obvious, all americans deserve the freedom to be safe, and america is safer today than when i took office. Your before i took office, murder rates were up already percent. 30 they went up. The biggest increase in history. It was then, through my American Rescue plan, we made the largest investment in Public Safety ever. Last year the murder rate saw the sharpest decrease in history. Violent crime fell to one of its lowest levels in more than 50 years. We have more to do. Help cities invest in more police officers, more Mental Health workers. Give communities the tools to crack down on gun crime, retail crime and carjacking. Keep Building Trust as ive been doing by taking executive action on police reform. Direct to my cabinet to review the classification of marijuana coming sponging thousands of convictions for mere possession because no one should be jailed for simply using or have it on their record. Take gun crimes and domestic violence, im ramping up the federal enforcement of an act that i probably wrote when i was a senator, so we can finally end the scourge against women in america. Theres other kinds of violence i want to stop. With this tonight is jasmine, who nineyearold sister jackie was murdered with 21 classmates and teachers in uvalde, texas. Soon after that happened, jill and i went to uvalde, we spent hours and hours with each of the families. We heard their message. So everyone in this room and chamber can understand this message. I was there for hours meeting with every family. They said do something. Do something. Well, i did do something by establishing the first ever of office of gun violence prevention in the white house. Meanwhile, meanwhile, my predecessor told the nra hes proud he did nothing on gun violence as president. When asked what to do about it, he said just get over it. Thats his quote, just get over it. I say stop it. To stop it, stop it, stop it. I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years because of this congress. We now must beat the nra again. Im demanding a ban on assault weapons and highcapacity magazines. Past universal background checks. None of this, none of this i taught the Second Amendment for 12 years. None of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners. As we manage challenges at home, were also managing conflict in the middle east. The last five months have been gut wrenching for so many people , and so many people here in america. This crisis began on october 7 with a massacre by a terrorist group called hamas, as you all know. 1200 innocent people, women and girls, men and boys, slaughtered , the deadliest day for the jewish people since the holocaust. 250 hostages taken. Here in this Chamber Tonight our families whose loved ones are still being held by hamas. A pledge to all the families i will not rest until we bring all those hostages home. We will also work around the clock to bring home evan and paul, americans being unjustly detained by the russians, and others around the world. Israel has a right to go after hamas. Hamas could end it by releasing hostages and laying down arms and surrendering those responsible for october 7. Israel has an added burden because it hides like cowards. Israel also has a fundamental responsibility to protect innocent civilians in gaza. This war has taken a greater toll than all previous wars in gaza combined, more than 30,000 palestinians have been killed, most of whom are not hamas. Thousands and thousands of innocent women and children, girls and boys also orphaned. Nearly 2 million palestinians under bombardment or displacement. Homes destroyed, cities and rubble, families without food, water, and medicine. Its heartbreaking. Ive been working nonstop to establish an immediate ceasefire and to get all the hostages released. To get hostages home and ease the intolerable humanitarian crisis, build toward an enduring toward something more enduring. Tonight im directing the u. S. Military to lead an Emergency Mission to establish a temporary peer in the mediterranean off the coast of gaza. She received large shipments of food, water, medicine, temporary shelter. No u. S. Boots will be on the ground. The temporary pier will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into gaza. Israel must do its part. Israel must allow more aid and ensure humanitarian workers are not caught in the crossfire. To the leadership of israel, i say this. You managed care and assistance cannot be a secondary consideration. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority. As we look to the future, the only real solution to the situation is a two state solution. And i say this, is a lifelong supporter of israel, my entire career, no one has a stronger record with israel and i do. I challenge any of you. Im the only american president to visit israel in more time. But there is no other path that guarantees Israeli Security and democracy. Theres no the path that guarantees palestinians can live with peace and dignity. Theres no other path that guarantees peace between israel and all of its neighbors, including saudi arabia. Creating stability in the middle east also means containing the threat posed by iran. Thats why built a coalition of more than a dozen countries to defend International Shipping and freedom of navigation in the red sea. As commanderinchief i will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and military personnel. For years, ive heard many of my republican and democratic friends say that china is on the rise. In america is falling behind. Theyve got it backwards. Ive been saying it for over four years. America is rising. We have the best economy in the world. Since ive come to office, our trade deficit with china is down to the lowest point in over a decade. We are trying up against chinas unfair standing up against chinas unfair economic practices. Ive revitalized a partnership and alliance in the pacific. India, australia, japan, south korea, the pacific islands. Ive made sure the most advanced American Technologies cannot be used in china. Frankly, for all the tough talk on china, it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that. I want competition with china, not conflict. We are in a stronger position to win the conflict than anyone else for that matter at any time as well. Here at home, i signed over 400 bipartisan bills, strengthen penalties on fentanyl trafficking, past bipartisan bills to protect our children online. Harness the promise of ai, ban ai voice impersonations and more. Keep are truly sacred obligation to train and equip those who send into harms way and care for them and their families when they come home. And when they dont. Thats why i signed the pact act, one of the most significant laws ever, hoping veterans who are battling more than 100 different those who dont come home, we owe them and their family support. We owe it to ourselves to keep supporting arpa h, and remind us that we can do big things like in cancer as we know it, and we will. Let me close with this. I know you didnt want to hear anymore, lindsay, but i got to say a few more things. I know it may not look like it, but ive been around a while. When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever. I know the american story. Again and again ive seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation. Between those who want to pull america back to the past and those who want to move america into the future. My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. A future based on core values that have defined america, honesty, decency, dignity and equality. To respect everyone, to give everyone a fair shot. To give hate no safe harbor. Other people my age see it differently. The american story of resentment, revenge and retribution. I was born amid world war ii when america stood for the freedom of the world. I grew up in scranton, pennsylvania and delaware among workingclass people who built this country. Ive watched in horror as two of my heroes, dr. King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated. A legacy that inspired me to pursue a career in service. I left a law firm and became a public defender because my city was the only city in america occupied by the National Guard after dr. King was assassinated. I became a county counselor. I got elected to the u. S. Senate when i had no intention of running at age 29. I was Vice President to the first black president. Now president to the first woman Vice President. [applause] in my career, ive been told i was too young. By the way, they didnt let me out of senate elevators or votes sometime. Not a joke. Ive been told im too old. Whether young or old, ive always known what endures. The very idea of americas that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. Weve never fully lived up to that idea, but weve never walked away from it, either. And i wont walk away from it now. Im optimistic. I really am, im optimistic, nancy. My fellow americans, and issue facing our nation is and how old we are, its how old are our ideas. Hate, anger, revenge and retribution are the oldest of ideas. But you cant lead america with ancient ideas. They only take us back. To lead america, the land of possibilities, you need a vision for the future and what can and should be done. Tonight youve heard mine. I see a future where defending democracy, you dont diminish it. I see a future where restoring the right to choose and protect our freedoms is not taken away. I see a future where the middle class finally has a fair shot and the wealthy will pay their fair share in taxes. I see a future where we save the planet from the Climate Crisis and our country from gun violence. Above all, i see a future for all americans. I see a country for all americans. And i will always be president for all americans, because i believe in america. I believe in you, the American People. You are the reason weve never been more optimistic about our future than i am now. So lets build the future together. Lets remember who we are. We are the United States of america. And there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. God bless you all, and may god protect our troops. [applause] geoff that was a forceful and feisty state of the Union Address, a focus on foreign policy, he highlighted the accomplishments of his first term, covid recovery, he also mentioned the israelhamas war and the plight of the palestinian people. Lets go down to Lisa Desjardins who is still in the chamber. Lisa, from your perch there, give us a sense of what you saw, especially some of the outbursts we heard. Lisa thats right, there were two outbursts or members of congress on the floor. You saw marjorie Taylor Greene, and lincoln riley. She repeatedly said say her name. President biden essentially was repeating what she was saying. The other was from the back, where a House Republican shouted out. We are asking the offices of the members who were there who it was that shouted that out. There were also two interruptions from the gallery, one in particular is right behind me, and it was someone, i really was looking at him right after this happened, who could tell was reacting in real time and hadnt planned to do it, but he was pushing back at the idea of the number of palestinians killed and he shouted, says who . And then on his way being escorted out of the chamber, said israel. It really displays the different tensions in the room, we saw some members standing up and sitting down a different parts for israel. You may have seen this on the screen, House Republicans were not listening to that speech by and large. Not just out of defiance, they just seemed not to be paying attention. They were almost over here physically bordering on a disrespectful way, and is something ive never seen to this degree before. Amna you mentioned some of those outbursts in the room, and we have different camera angles here so we dont necessarily see what you see. Also just to clarify little bit when you mentioned lincoln riley, we are talking about the young Nursing Student at the university of georgia who was murdered while out on a run and the accused in the case is an undocumented immigrant, thats been a flashpoint now about the immigration debate and crime conversations. But we did see at one point when the late john lewis name was brought up in the bill in his name was brought up, House Speaker mike johnson did rise and he did clap at that moment. From your vantage point, did you see any other moments were both sides of the aisle seemed to be in agreement on any issue . Lisa im afraid that i did not, i wrote down in my notes that same moment, it seems like manufacturing, made in america, all of that pass too much applause. I think that was set early on in President Biden talked about junri seven, i was astounded to see nearly all republicans not only were not standing all democrats were standing, they were not clapping. They were not reacting at all. You would think if there is a unifying principle in this chamber, it should be applauded, the idea that that attack was not successful. Instead i watched the vast majority of House Republicans not even clap. Maybe a dozen or so clapped. Geoff now over to our White House Correspondent, laura baran lopez. I know youve been in touch with your democratic sources all evening. What have they been telling you about the speech in their assessment of it . Laura a lot of the democrats ive spoken with seem pretty please with the speed from the president. He had a lot of things i want him to talk about, the defense of the micro see, the fight combating election denialism. You notice in the chamber he got a lot of the democrats riled up when he was talking about how he wanted to take on the tax burden. When he asked did anyone think the tax code was fair, you heard democrats shout back, no. There was a lot of enthusiasm from democrats during the speech in i think they saw President Joe Biden that they want to see more of on the campaign trail, someone who is spontaneous, someone who engages in was really fired up around the entire speech. I want to know that during the speech, we tracked it, there were 13 times the president refer to his predecessor. Particularly on the issue of immigration, that was something we saw the president directly confront House Republicans on. Blocking that bipartisan border bill. When he was talking about the specifics of that immigration bill, we noticed that senator james lankford, who was one of the key republican negotiators working with the white house on that bill, he appeared to mouth, thats true, when the president was talking about the details of that bill, what that bill would have done. Another thing that is probably on a lot of democrats mind is the president is talking about immigration is a recent wall street journal poll that found that some 59 of voters support that bipartisan immigration bill and 74 of voters say they actually think there should be a pathway to citizenship for undocumented migrants who have been here for years and who go through a background check. Amna laura, i know youre going to stay with us, but lets bring in our panel here in the studio. Amy walter is head of the Cook Political Report with amy walter, jonathan k part associate editor of the washington post. Amy, this was billed as not a political speech. Its fair to say there was quite a bit of politics in tir. It was the most overtly political speech ive heard given as a state of the union ever. I think that it was really focused on one audience in particular, and that is on democrats who worry that the president doesnt have the stamina, doesnt have the fight in him to really run a Robust Campaign against donald trump. He came out swinging in the very first minutes of this speech, talking about, as laura noted, his predecessor, telling putin to whatever the hell you want. He went after the Supreme Court and their decision overturning roe v. Wade. I realize twitter is not life, so i will be clear on that, but when i tweeted out that this was the most overtly political speech id never heard at the state of the union, the response back from democrats that i got my feed was, good. This is exactly what we need to see. I think what you saw is, this is the terrain that President Biden wants to make the campaign about, what he just laid out basically in the first five minutes of the speech, and the things that republicans want to make this campaign about were at the very back, the talk about immigration and some of the issues around bringing down inflation. Geoff im willing to take bets to see how long the president is going to stay here talking with members of congress. It really was striking how political the speech was. Joe biden is an institutionalist, he is someone new says he cares deeply about the congress as an institutional body. He talks a lot about bipartisanship. Like amy, i thought it was super political, especially ukraine, january 6, ivf. Somebody has been taking their mike tyson pills. I think the response will be lucky was last year, hes not so senile after all. I had a friend text me and say they thought he should step down and they said they change their mind. This was an epic speech. I thought last year speech was a barnburner. This one was that times 10. I think because the stakes were so high for him and for the white house and for his reelection campaign, but also to amys point, for democrats, they needed to see this. I went back and looked at my text messages, we were four minutes in mi best friend in new york sends me a text message. All it said was, ms. Sophia home now. That is a turning point in the movie color purple. This was a turning point for lots of democrats. I think the entire democratic world is breathing a sigh of relief. And actually will be energized by the cranky grandpa that they just saw. Amna a big concern among democrats . . What did you make of that he had to do that. If youre going to lean into it, thats a way to lean into it, to remind the folks in that room and the people watching, democrats and republicans, all americans, yeah, im old. But i have experience. Im old enough to have seen changes in this country, and im the person to lead us into the future. Geoff the president s personal strain of economic populism, how is that resonating and how will that change . . In the next eight months this is the contrast you heard in the speech, which is not so much about issues that republicans talk about. Instead, its, let me put my economic ideals up against yours. He focus specifically on the tax bill that President Trump signed into law is up at the beginning of 2025. So there is going to be a lot of conversation, regardless of who is elected president , about what to do about those tax cuts. That is the kind of conversation this president would like to have. He would like to make the argument that it is the former president , it is republicans who are looking out its the Republican Party who are not looking out for regular folks. Weve been talking to democrats in and around the biden reelection campaign, that is exactly the kind of contrast they want to make. Former President Donald Trump is for himself, joe biden is for you. There are moments the elements and issues the president wants to be talking about, and the things he needs to talk about, things likemmigration that rise high on voters issue lists. They were closer to the back of his speech. There was a moment in their in which he was talking about the failure of the border bill to move forward and repeatedly called on congress to send him that border bill. It was a little bit of backandforth with embers of congress in the room. Take a listen to that moment. The Border Patrol unit has endorsed this bill. The federal chamber of commerce look at the facts. I know you know how to read. I believe that given the opportunity a majority of the house and senate would endorse the bill as well. The majority right now. But importantly, politics has derailed this bill so far. Amna david, this is an issue that has bedeviled president after president. Is there a Tipping Point here, has biden gained ground on this . He may have gained ground. Its a huge republican advantage on this. Tonight was a night, but people will still see be streaming across the border in the next month. I wouldnt call it a Tipping Point, but i think he did the right thing. He went pretty far in that direction. I thought it was a pretty solid night for him on the immigration issue but is still an open wound in the party. On the economy, i was reminded, issue f2 issue, its paying for this, child care tax credits. I think personally hes got a great record to run on. I was up in syracuse and people were ecstatic, i was in ohio and people were ecstatic about the chip plant. People are feeling it, but somehow there is a disconnect, and i cant quite say i understand it. What hes got a good story to tell. If he keeps pounding the message, will it help . Geoff when you talk to democrats on the hill and in the white house, how did they explain the disconnect with the economy and how people feel it in their own minds . What they will say is they dont feel it yet. A lot of it will be implemented next year, meaning 2024. Now, today, they will say things like they are starting to feel it. You see Consumer Confidence going up. And they point to all the Economic Indicators that backup what they are saying. So the hope is that by june or july, by the time people start focusing after labor day, that the heart and mind will meet and people will turn around and say, hey, joe biden is the reason why the economy is so good. That is there hope. Amna in a few minutes we will hear the republican response. We will bring that live to you as it happens. This year that will be delivered by the third youngest serving senator, representing alabama in the senate. The decision for her to deliver that response, what do you make of that . The decision to choose her was very notable, too. She is a sitting senator, who if you talk to republicans on the hill, they will tell you this is the person we think is the future. She has been able to bridge the maga and establishment wings pretty well. She comes from the establishment wing. She was a staffer in the United States senate. She worked for a Business Organization back in alabama. Everything about her screams establishment, and yet she won over donald trump in her campaign. Her husband is a professional football player. I will probably get it wrong, was it auburn or alabama . Geoff close enough. The point being, she is the kind of face that republicans, especially those who are focused on how do we do better with the swing voters . How do we win over some of the voters we lost in the era of trump . They look at her as being that bridge there because of her story, and we will see if she is able to deliver on that in this response. As youve said, these responses are never really great or someones political career. They are very hard to do. But what it says to the public, or at least to those of us who are in the mix is this is somebody you should take seriously as part of the future of the party. Geoff she is the only current republican mom of schoolaged kids serving in the u. S. Senate. Her home state has been at the forefront of the fight over reproductive rights, given the Alabama Supreme Court ruling over ivf. Notably it is a law that they did pass there is still a lot of potential problems that could come down that need to be fixed. Amna abortion rights, fallout from overturning roe v. Wade will continue to be a central issue and certainly something democrats want to keep talking about. Abortion is an issue both parties want to talk about and its key to republican bases. George mcgovern didnt get to speak until super late at night. It was Something Like 10 53 east coast time. Usually the transitions are faster. Amna what do you make of what we will hear from her . Also we should mention House Speaker Newt Gingrichs said it could be a big audition for her as a future president ial pick. If you listen to the substance of it, what we are possibly going to hear, it is the peril of the republican response. A response usually rich but before the respondent has ever heard what the president is even saying. There could be some dissonance. Geoff katie britt is a rising star among senate republicans, young working mother from a conservative state, and here she is, senator katie britt. Good, america. I name is katie britt, and i have the honor of serving the people of the great state of alabama in the United States senate. However, thats not the job that matters most. I am up around wife and mom of two schoolaged kids. My daughter and my son are why i ran for the senate. I am worried about their future and the future of children in every corner of our nation. And thats why i invited you into our home tonight. So many families across america, my husband wesley and i just watched President Bidens state of the Union Address from our living room. D what we saw was the performance of a permanent politician who has actually been in office for longer than ive been alive. One thing was clear, though. President biden just doesnt get it. He is out of touch. Under his administration, families are worse off, and communities are less safe, and our country is less secure. I just wish he understood what real families are facing around Kitchen Tables just like this one. This is where our family has tough conversations. Its where we make hard decisions. Its where we share the good, the bad, and the ugly of our days. Its where we laughed together, and its where we hold each others hands and pray for gods guidance. And many nights, to be honest, its where wesley and i worry. I know we are not alone. And so tonight, the American Family needs to have a tough conversation, because the truth is, we are all worried about the future of our nation. The country we know and love seems to be slipping away, and it feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities unless and less freedoms than we did. I worry my own children may not even get a shot at living their American Dreams. My American Dream allowed me, the daughter of two Small Business owners from rule enterprise, alabama, to be elected to the United States senate at the age of 40. Growing up, sweeping the floor at my dads Hardware Store and cleaning the bathroom at my moms dance studio, i never couldve imagined what my story would entail. To think about what the American Dream and do across just one generation, in just one lifetime. Its truly breathtaking. But right now, the American Dream has turned into a nightmare for so many families. The true unvarnished state of our union begins and ends with this. Our families are hurting. Our country can do better. And you dont have to look any further than the crisis at our southern birder southern border to see it. President biden inherited the most secure border of all time. But minutes after taking office, he suspended all deportations, he halted construction of the border wall, and he announced a plan to give amnesty to millions. We know that President Biden didnt just create this border crisis. He invited it with 94 executive actions in his first 100 days. When i took office, i took a different approach. I traveled to the del rio sector of texas. Thats where i spoke to a woman who shared her story with me. She had been sex trafficked by the cartels, starting at the age of 20. She told me not just that she was raped every day, but how many times a day she was raped. The cartels put her on a mattress in a shoebox of a room and they sent men through that door over and over again for hours and hours on end. We wouldnt be ok with this happening in a third world country. This is the United States of america, and it is past time, in my opinion, that we start acting like it. President bidens border policies are a disgrace. This crisis is despicable. And the truth is, it is almost entirely preventable. From fentanyl poisonings to horrific murders, there are empty chairs tonight at Kitchen Tables just like this one. Because of President Bidens senseless order policies. Just think about lincoln riley. In my neighboring state of georgia, this beautiful 22 year old Nursing Student went out on a job one morning and she never got the opportunity to return home. She was brutally murdered by one of the millions of illegal Border Crossers President Biden chose to release into our homeland. As a mom, i cant quit thinking about this. I mean this could have been my daughter. This could have been yours. And tonight, President Biden finally said her name. But he c but he refused to take responsibility for his own actions. Mr. President , enough is enough innocent americans are dying and you only have yourself to blame. Fulfill your oath of office. Reverse your policies. End this crisis and stop the suffering. Sadly, we know that President Bidens failures do not stop there