Honored guest from Ukraine and jokes from Republicans: how Biden's appeal to Congress went

In his February 7 address to the US Congress, Joe Biden touched on China, abortion, the border, Medicare and welfare. He has painted an optimistic picture of the achievements of his administration and Congressional Democrats since he entered the White House in 2021. The Guardian.

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The President of the United States has also entered into a fight with the Republicans on some issues, which has been widely praised as the 2024 race for the White House begins to loom on the horizon.

Here are some key takeaways from the speech.

On China, “the strongest position in decades”

Biden spoke at the Capitol, where Republicans still want to capitalize on the case of a Chinese spy balloon that was shot down on Feb. 4 off the coast of the Carolinas after crossing the country's borders. Right-wingers, including Marjorie Taylor Green, who carried her balloon through the halls before the speech, say Biden moved too slowly.

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Biden dismissed this, saying, “Today we are in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world. I am committed to working with China where it can advance American interests and benefit the world. But make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did it."

About Threats to Social Security and Medicare

Discussing the looming struggle and possible global crisis due to a US default, Biden targeted Republicans who want to cut Social Security and Medicare as part of (allegedly) balancing the federal budget.

He said: “Instead of making the rich pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to close every five years. This means that if Congress does not vote to keep them, these programs will disappear.”

Amid the screams and jeers of the Republicans, Greene could be seen and heard shouting "Liar!"

Tyre Nichols and police violence

With Republicans holding the House of Representatives, the outlook for major police reform is bleak. Biden delivered the address anyway, citing the horrific case of Tyre Nichols, a black man beaten to death by officers in Memphis, Tennessee, and introducing Nichols' parents, who were applauded.

«Представьте, что вы потеряли ребенка от рук закона. Я знаю, что большинство полицейских — хорошие, порядочные люди, — сказал Байден. — Они рискуют жизнью каждый раз, когда надевают этот жетон. Но то, что случилось с Тайром в Мемфисе, случается слишком часто. Мы должны работать лучше».

About weapons: call for a ban on assault weapons

The outlook for gun reform is also bleak. But Biden reiterated his call for a ban on assault weapons, citing the recent shooting in California's Monterey Park. He introduced the survivor, Brandon Tsai, who disarmed the gunman who had killed 11 people. Tsai received applause.

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«Запретите штурмовое оружие раз и навсегда, — сказал Байден. — Мы делали это раньше. Я возглавил борьбу за этот запрет в 1994 году как сенатор от штата Делавэр. За 10 лет запрет стал законом, массовые расстрелы прекратились. После того, как республиканцы позволили запрету истечь, массовые расстрелы утроились. Давайте закончим работу и снова запретим штурмовое оружие».

Abortions

«Конгресс должен восстановить право, которое Верховный суд отнял в прошлом году, и кодифицировать дело «Роу против Уэйда», чтобы защитить конституционное право каждой женщины на выбор», — сказал Байден. «Не заблуждайтесь: если Конгресс примет национальный запрет на аборты, я наложу на него вето », — добавил он.

Congress is unlikely to do so, not least because the court has returned abortion rights to the states. Republicans know this is a toxic issue for them to vote on, and the Senate belongs to the Democrats anyway. But the ballot box was what Biden was really aiming for: attacking abortion rights is the issue Democrats will face in 2024.

More clashes at the border

No wonder Republicans in the House of Representatives chanted "protect the border" when Biden spoke of immigration, including a call for more resources for border guards.

McCarthy was seen to shut up bullies, though not particularly defiantly. Later, when Biden spoke of the need to secure America's borders from an influx of opioid fentanyl and introduced the parents of a woman killed by the drug, at least one Republican yelled, "It's your fault!"

In Ukraine

Nearly a year after Russia invaded the neighboring country, Biden hailed US efforts to support and arm Kyiv. This became the target of criticism from Republicans.

“Together,” he said, “we did what America always does at its best. We were in the lead. We have united NATO and created a global coalition. We opposed Putin's aggression. We stood with the Ukrainian people."

Speaking to Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Makarova, Biden said: "We will support you for as long as it takes." Markarova joined the first lady as a guest for the second consecutive year. The First Lady also invited U2 lead singer Bono, a well-known activist in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

On right-wing threats to democracy

Байден сослался на серьезные угрозы последних нескольких лет, почти упомянув по имени главный их источник — Дональда Трампа. Он подчеркнул важность случая с Полом Пелоси, мужем бывшего спикера Нэнси Пелоси, на которого в прошлом году напал экстремист в его доме в Сан-Франциско.

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«Последние несколько лет наша демократия подвергалась угрозам, нападениям и риску. …Сегодня здесь, в этом зале, находится человек, у которого остались шрамы от жестокого нападения, но он настолько крепок, силен и вынослив, насколько это вообще возможно. Мой друг, Пол Пелоси. Но такой гнусный поступок никогда не должен был произойти», — сказал Байден.

Biden added: “There is no place for political violence in America. We must protect the right to vote, not suppress this basic right, respect the results of our elections, not undermine the will of the people. We must restore confidence in our democratic institutions."

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