In first address to US Congress, Biden tells the nation and world: ‘America is rising anew’

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday returned to the Capitol, his home for more than three decades, and used his first address to Congress to make the case that the era of America is back.

President Joe Biden declared Wednesday night in his first address to a joint session of Congress that “America is rising anew,” and pointed optimistically to the nation’s emergence from the pandemic as a vital moment to rebuild the US economy and fundamentally transform government roles in American life. Biden marked his first 100 days in office as the nation pushes out of a menacing mix of crises, making his case before a pared-down gathering of mask-wearing legislators because of pandemic restrictions. Speaking in highly personal terms while demanding massive structural changes, the president urged a $1.8 trillion investment in children, families and education to help rebuild an economy devastated by the virus and compete with rising global competitors.