In State of the Union, Biden Will Focus on Economy and Global Response to Russia
The New York Times
The speech was originally going to center primarily on the president’s domestic agenda. But the war in Europe has forced the White House to change gears.
WASHINGTON — President Biden will use his first State of the Union address on Tuesday to claim credit for a robust economy and a unified global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, even as he acknowledges the pain of inflation and the struggle between “democracy and autocracy” around the world, administration officials said on Monday.
The speech, which has been in the works for months, was originally meant to focus primarily on the president’s domestic agenda, using the rare prime-time platform as a way to jump-start his stalled efforts to pass far-reaching social spending legislation.
But the war in Europe that erupted last week has forced the White House to ensure that Mr. Biden’s address “reflects a moment in time,” as Jen Psaki, the press secretary, put it Monday afternoon. She said Mr. Biden will use part of his remarks to describe the administration’s efforts to prevent the Russian invasion and to impose costs on President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
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