WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden prepares for his second State of the Union address to Congress after receiving disappointing performance ratings: According to a new joint Washington Post and ABC News poll, 62 percent of Americans think he achieved “not much” or “almost nothing”.
On Tuesday evening, he will have the opportunity to address the joint session of the Houses of Congress and try to convince people otherwise. According to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday afternoon, the president was still working on his speech with his closest advisers.
“The president will have the opportunity to speak directly to the American people, not just members of Congress, to talk about what he has accomplished in two years and how he sees the future of the country,” said she declared.
The White House has said that even with last-minute changes, Biden will make sure to spend time on what Americans say they care about most: their pocketbooks.
According to this poll, 41% of Americans think their financial situation has deteriorated since he took office, while 42% said their financial situation has not changed.
“After two years, it’s clear, clearer than ever, that my economic plan is indeed working,” Biden said in January, pointing to job growth, falling prices, rising investment and manufacturing.
On the eve of the report to Congress, Biden’s top economic adviser was more moderate in his optimism.
“I think the main message is that we should make more progress, but people should feel optimistic based on what has been, what we have achieved and that we know how to make further progress” , said the director of the National Economic Council. Brian Deese.
Biden is also expected to discuss various foreign policy topics, focusing on the country he sees as a major rival to the United States.
“I expect you to hear the president talk about the importance of our leadership on the international stage,” said John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications. “About America’s influence, especially when it comes to helping Ukraine defend against a Russian invasion and strategic competition with China.”
As for Ukraine, Konstanz Stelzenmüller, director of the Center for the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, believes that Biden will have the opportunity to set the tone for additional support from the United States and NATO. in Kiev.
“It seems to me that the Allies are faced with a choice, and neither the administration nor the Europeans have decided yet,” she said. – Should we follow the path of caution, a slow and gradual rise in temperature to “cook the frog” in a way and avoid the escalation of Putin? Or should they give Ukraine the chance to make a big effort to prevent a Russian spring offensive that could undo their territorial gains and allow Ukraine to take its territory under full control? »
In his speech, Biden is also likely to touch on topics like gun control, immigration, health care, police reform, and more.
