President Biden in State of the Union urges Republicans to work together to 'finish the job'

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden on Tuesday touted recent economic gains and his plan to build the economy “from the middle out” — arguing the U.S. is in a better position now than it was two years prior during a speech in which he at times drew fire from Republicans.

“Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years,” Biden said at his State of the Union address. “This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives.”

The president in his speech to a joint session of Congress largely took credit for key pieces of legislation passed last Congress and highlighted successes like falling inflation and a boom in job growth following a coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the economy, closed businesses and put people out of work.

But facing a newly divided Congress, Biden also urged Republicans to work with him to “finish the job” on issues ranging from expanding health care coverage to reforming policing practices and supporting seniors.

“To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” Biden said. “The people sent us a clear message: Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.”

The president in his address presented an optimistic outlook for the country, proclaiming that the state of the union is “strong” as he highlighted legislation he signed aimed at curbing health care costs for seniors, addressing climate change, expanding benefits for veterans and improving the country’s infrastructure.

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At one point, Biden pointed out that his administration is working to replace “poisonous lead pipes that go into 10 million homes and 400,000 schools and childcare centers” — a reference, in part, to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that includes $15 billion to remove and replace lead service lines across the country over the next 10 years.

That pledge resonated with at least one Wisconsinite invited to the address by Biden and seated in the first lady’s gallery box: Deanna Branch, a Milwaukee mother and activist who has been outspoken about working to create a community safe from lead after her son’s battle with lead poisoning.

And he vowed during his speech to introduce new standards requiring all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America.

The president's focus on the economy and past accomplishments came as a preview of Biden's expected reelection campaign announcement. The remarks were delivered a day before Biden will travel to the Madison area to tout “how his economic plan is creating good-paying union jobs and delivering real results for the American people,” according to the White House.

Still, despite Biden’s call for unity Tuesday night, there remained moments of tension during the address that could be indicative of future friction in a divided Congress.

Biden drew boos from a number of Republicans when he accused members of the GOP of threatening Social Security and Medicare in the ongoing debate over the nation’s debt limit despite Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s claims that Republicans will not touch the entitlement programs.

“Liar!” at least one Republican yelled at Biden following the remarks.

It wasn’t the only heated instance of heckling. When Biden called for cracking down on the deadly drug fentanyl, a number of Republicans yelled, “The border!” with one claiming, “It’s your fault.”

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Wisconsin Republicans following the speech appeared to dismiss Biden’s address, hitting the administration on crime, illegal immigration and high energy prices.

“Our nation is in peril,” Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said in a statement.

Wisconsin Democrats, meanwhile, praised Biden’s economic plan.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin was frequently animated during the speech. She stood and clapped when Biden noted that the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act capped out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month for seniors on Medicare and called on Congress to extend that cap to the private market. She appeared to turn to the guests watching in the House galleries; Baldwin’s guest was an Appleton man who is now benefiting from that insulin cap.

On international affairs, Biden reaffirmed his support for Ukraine as he denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion as “a test for the ages.” A year into the war, Biden told Ukraine’s Ambassador that the U.S. would stand with Ukraine "as long as it takes."

He also acknowledged China's growing influence, an area of increasing tension among lawmakers after a Chinese surveillance balloon floated across the country last week. He said winning the competition with China should “unite all of us.”

“I’ve made clear with President Xi that we seek competition, not conflict,” Biden said.

But Biden was also defiant when it came to the U.S.'s own future and democracy.

As he ended his speech, Biden referenced political violence — the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and, more recently, the attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi.

"We must uphold the rule of the law and restore trust in our institutions of democracy," Biden said. "Democracy must not be a partisan issue. It must be an American issue."

“Every generation of Americans has faced a moment where they have been called on to protect our democracy, to defend it, to stand up for it," he added.

“And this is our moment.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Biden in State of the Union urges GOP to help him 'finish the job'