By now you have either watched or heard something about the State of the Union address.  According to recent polls, Joe Biden walked into the State of the Union with a 47% approval rating. The creation of jobs from infrastructure programs, unemployment at a 50% low, the COVID-19 response put into place which assisted in lowering the death rate, as well as many other initiatives that have gone into effect have only aided the United States in regaining a stronghold on the world stage. For further information on the accomplishments of this administration please visit the official White House web page, feel free to follow this link to do so.

The State of the Union lasted an hour and thirteen minutes, during which President Biden recapped his administration’s wins, which in turn are winning for the citizens of the United States of America. The president addressed the Joint Session of Congress at the State Capitol just a few short days after the anniversary of the January 6 Insurrection. We as a country have come a long way since Jan. 6, 2021, but we have a long way to go. The State of the Union was an address filled with hope, and a request by the president to “Finish the Job”.  President Biden was able to secure a promise from Republicans not to touch Social Security or Medicare,  even though some in this party have wished to sunset or outright end what they view as an entitlement.

President Biden seemed to command the room, bringing attention to not only the accomplishments of the administration but a number of proposals in the works, such as capping the price of insulin for all Americans needing this life-saving medication, laws to give kids clean drinking water, internet connectivity for all, plans to build electric vehicle charging stations, 10 million new businesses, capping credit card late fees at $8, stricter gun laws, increased pay for teachers, ensuring all building materials are made in the United States and many other initiatives that would only position the United States in a better place in the global economy. President Biden spoke of the necessity for fundamental change and offered a plan to do so. Biden extended a hand to the Republican Party but did not show weakness in doing so. Many have said, since watching the State of the Union address, that President Biden came to show he is ready for a potential second run for President in 2024.

During the State of the Union address,  Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) took his seat as the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the first time. The road to Speaker of the House was not an easy one, it took McCarthy 15 votes to be elected as the Speaker of the House for the first time since 1923 and the longest voting process since 1859. It has been stated that McCarthy has been a staunch supporter of former President Trump. McCarthy has even been linked to upholding the false claims that the election in 2020 was stolen, but after the Insurrection outwardly condemned Trump’s action. However, McCarthy later walked back those claims and made amends with the former president.

Throughout the State of the Union, President Biden introduced many individuals such as Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Rep. Jeffries is the first man of color to hold this position and supported by Rep. Nancy Pelosi to replace her after she stepped down from leadership last year. Biden also introduced the parents of Tyre Nichols, who was the most recent young black man killed by police, (note that the federal law under the heading of the George Floyd Act was recently enacted). The husband of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who had been attacked in their home by a MAGA supporter, the Ukraine ambassador, and even rockstar and activist Bono, lead singer of the band U2 were all in attendance. Having such a diverse group in attendance shows just how many lives the Biden Administration has touched through the work that has been done, and that which is still to come.

“It is clear that many who watched the State of the Union address did so for a myriad of reasons, however, the common denominator in why people viewed the address was to get a benchmark as to who would do the best for our democracy, and that we as a nation are walking away to whatever side we think is right. The line in the sand has been drawn. We just need to see where, who and when things will fall into place and how far as a country.”

This State of the Union address was one that touted that we are a “country unbowed and unbroken”, we are a country of “possibility”, and even though Democrats and Republicans do not see eye to eye, the need to work together has never been greater.  President Biden said that fighting for the sake of fighting, or conflict for the sake of conflict is not worth it. Much of President Biden’s address was met with jeers from the Republican party, however to the dismay of senior members of the Republican Party many Republicans choose to call the President of the United States a liar, showing they have little to no respect for the office, or for proper etiquette in such a situation. President Biden was able to stay in control of the room and address which held the favor of those in attendance as well as the at-home viewers.

Immediately following the State of the Union address was the Republican response. The party chose the newly elected Governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders to give the rebuttal. Sanders is the youngest governor ever elected into office. She is also the first female to follow in her father’s footsteps and lead a state as its governor. Her father, Mike Huckabee, served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. As you might recall, Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as press secretary for President Trump. Governor Sanders’s rebuttal was in stark contrast to Joe Biden’s address. Where Biden spoke of working together to “Finish the Job,” Sanders stoked the fires of division between the parties, with rhetoric such as “It is not [a] choice between right and wrong but normal and crazy”. Sanders also spoke about how this administration seeks to please only the “Woke,” and she is also seen as taking a swipe at the transgender community with her veiled remarks. Throughout her response, the tone that was taken was a very devise one, and it should be known that Sanders’s first order of business as the Governor of Arkansas was to ban the use of the term “Latinx” statewide. This action was seen as a blatant abuse of power, and a senseless act that did nothing for the people of Arkansas who have some of the poorest communities in the country, the highest death rates due to COVID-19, and also has been touted as one of the states that’s the educational system continually fails its citizens. For more information on how Arkansas ranks in overall performance against the other states, please visit https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arkansas

All in all, President Biden’s State of the Union received rave reviews and had a positive effect on his overall rating. The State of the Union address served to unite the American people for the sake of maintaining our democracy, and if the first two years of this administration have shown the country what is possible, the next two years should hopefully be just as successful.

President Biden closed the State of the Union by stating that if anyone asks about the State of the Union, the answer will be “We are STRONG”. The standard “God Bless you all, and God Bless America were Biden’s closing remarks.” President Biden left the podium to a standing ovation from Democrats and honored guests, all the while the Republicans quickly exited the chamber.