Biden address to Congress to continue tradition of adapting to the times

We think of a State of the Union speech or address to a joint session of Congress as a permanent institution in American government, cemented in tradition and protocol. But it's an organic, living undertaking. It adapts to the times.

It’s not unheard of for people to colloquially refer to a president’s initial speech before a joint session of Congress early in their first term as "State of the Union." But technically it’s not a "State of the Union." That’s because the newly-inaugurated president has only been on the job a short time. However, President Biden has been more than "on the job" for a while now. The president's initial address to Congress comes 98 days after he was sworn in. Most recent presidents have given their first speech to Congress about a month after taking office, usually in mid-to-late February. President Reagan spoke to Congress on Feb. 18, 1981, just 29 days into his first term. President Trump spoke to Congress on Feb. 28, 2017, 39 days after taking office. One can blame the delay for Biden’s address on a host of reasons. The pandemic still looms large. Capitol security is the other problem.