State of the Union

Welcome to this special broadcast of President Joe Biden's State of the Union address.

Civic Media is providing you with live comprehensive coverage tonight.

Megidon, host of the Megidon Show and Southeast Wisconsin News Bureau Chief Stuart J. Wattles

will monitor the address, then break down the president's priorities and what it means

for you.

Now here's live coverage of the State of the Union address and your hosts Megidon and

Stuart J Wattles.

Hello friends.

Welcome to Civic Media's coverage of the State of the Union address.

Like the announcer voice just said, I'm Stuart J Wattles, the, what do we call me now?

The, the bureau chief.

I like, I like bureau chief, Maggie, I like that a lot.

Megidon is here with us on the other side of the glass and we're just going to kind of

interpret what's going on, kind of preview, what's going on.

We're here in the Walker Shucks studios.

We got a crew in Madison and then we're sending it out statewide lacrosse, so clear.

Green Bay.

Thanks for checking in Maggie, let's start at the beginning or maybe we should start at

the end.

Is this, is this going to matter?

The State of the Union.

Uh, yes.

In my opinion, in terms of modern State of the Union addresses, this is probably the most

important State of the Union, easily in the last 20 years.

And the reason I say that, um, is largely because there's been so much ink spilt.

And talking head time around Joe Biden's energy, vitality, et cetera.

And he killed it last year in the State of the Union.

He basically shot down some hecklers, made the Republicans and public agree to maintain

social security, even though Senator Ron Johnson, Wisconsin's own has said in many a

time that he wants to make social security part of the annual budgeting process.

So he killed it last year.

It's incredibly important that he has an excellent A grade performance today.

I also expect the heckling to be out of control, despite Speaker Mike Johnson's admonitions

in a private meeting yesterday to the GOP caucus.

And I think there was another meeting today that I was just reading about about decorum

and how they're going to try and not, um, kind of throw out the U.L.I.'s and how dare

you use and things like that.

So we're going to air the speech.

It looks like from what I'm seeing, the president's still in the motorcade.

And there was some protesters between the White House and the Capitol.

I think that problem was cleared up.

President's still in the motorcade on his way.

The justices are in the building right now.

So they're just kind of gathering and waiting for the president's arrival.

We will carry the Republican response tonight.

So that's also on the agenda.

Maggie, let's us pretend you're writing this speech.

You're targeting Wisconsin voters.

What's your main theme?

What are you kind of hoping to get as the main thrust of the entire speech?

Make America normal again.

That's where I start.

Listen, the folks that are watching the state of the union are smart.

They may not have the time to devote to the detail here, but don't speak down to people.

Speak exactly the truth.

Talk about democracy.

Talk about women's issues.

Again, we have and we should have protected.

And we should have federal protections for women's right to select their health care.

I think he's got to hit that hard.

I think he also has to speak to voters in Wisconsin.

And likewise in a lot of swing states about the economy.

And he needs to make his case very clear, owned by dynamics.

And explain to people exactly why it's working.

Donald Trump had one crisis.

That was it.

And a million people died because he couldn't bring himself to tell the truth.

And as a result of that, he plunged our economy into a near recession, right?

And what Biden has been able to do to restore growth, to have wage growth, now exceeding inflation.

And of course, that done because of Joe Biden's willingness to stay in shoulder to shoulder

with union members and the reinviguration of the labor movement in the United States.

He needs to bring this case affirmatively to voters in Wisconsin.

And likewise in the other swing states, do you think crime enters that same kind of discussion

about how people think that it might be out of control?

But he may point to some other numbers similar to what you're saying about the economy.

Do you think he tries to make a push tonight?

Yeah, I don't know whether or not crime quote unquote ranks.

What will rank and what he does need to address is immigration.

What his administration has done, I think he needs to take on directly and look directly at the

members of the GOP, particularly in the House caucus, that have done Donald Trump's bidding

to stop a bipartisan immigration bill that is the strongest immigration bill.

Frankly, the stuff of GOP dreams.

And basically said Donald Trump will bow and feel T to you.

And we won't move on this so that you can run on immigration.

He needs to speak to the facts, cities with large number of immigrants,

actually of lower crime rates, especially lower violent crime rates,

than the cities that have fewer immigrants and migrants.

So again, you have to blend the rhetoric with the facts,

but he needs to be making an affirmative case while taking on the lives of Donald Trump.

Listen, what he's going to be looking at is a rogue's gallery of grovelers.

Mitch McConnell the last to fall.

I think Anya, we've got a little bit of sound of Mitch McConnell taking on Donald Trump

and his responsibility for January 6th right after it occurred. Let's listen to Mitch.

Their election of duty.

The House accused the former president of quote, incitement.

That is a specific term from the criminal law.

Let me just put that aside for a moment and reiterate something I said,

a stop a specific piece of domestic business they did not like.

Fellow Americans beat and bloodied our own police.

They stormed the center floor.

They tried to hunt down the Speaker of the House.

January 6th was a disgrace.

American citizens attacked their own government.

They used terrorism to try to stop a specific piece of domestic business they did not like.

And in that speech, McConnell goes on to say that Donald Trump bears responsibility.

If we can find that specific sound on you, I'd like to have people listen to that.

Because yesterday, Mitch McConnell endorsed Donald Trump for president.

Again, it's a rogue's gallery of grovelers.

There is no leaders left in the GOP. It is not the GOP. It's not the grandal party.

It's not the Republican party. It's the mega party.

And he needs to take that on directly.

Yeah, and kind of going to what these things that we're talking about, these major issues,

they're kind of, they're played out in these guests that are brought along to the address.

The Fourth District Congresswoman Gwen Moore brought Tanya Atkinson, the president and CEO

of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. So she'll be there tonight.

First lady Jill Biden has a guest from Texas, Kate Cox, a woman who fled the state for abortion

care. So those are some of the issues, again, where the people kind of represent

of what's going on. Do you also know about Senator Tammy Baldwin's guest?

I don't actually know Senator Baldwin's guest. And just on this point about Kate Cox joining

from from the state of Texas in the in the first lady's box, she's also being joined by

Latora Beasley, who is the Alabama mother whose IVF treatments were halted after the Alabama

Supreme Court found that embryos are people. And therefore, you could not have IVF treatments.

The interesting point about that, and then I want to hear about Senator Baldwin's guest,

is that the GOP response today is coming from Senator Kate Brett, a Republican from Alabama,

who has sort of danced around the Alabama Supreme Court ruling. We expect to hear her take that up

in her response remarks. So not lost on anybody that the first lady and others, including

Representative Moore, are really leaning into women's freedom to choose health care for those.

Well, and that's kind of been on display with with the visits to the state by Kamala Harris,

by Jill Biden. These are the themes that they're bringing up and that they're going to.

Senator Tammy Baldwin's guest tonight, the chief of police from right here in Walkasha, Daniel Thompson,

together they penned an op-ed about the fentanyl crisis. So that's kind of what she's trying to

shine a spotlight on. Do you think the president brings up anything in that realm tonight?

You know, that's an interesting question. There's so much to cover, right? And I don't see Jill

Biden going much over an hour. I think he's going to be 60 minutes or under Vegas has got it at 65

minutes, 65 minutes. Well, I'm going to say I'm going to take the under. I'm going to go under.

If you want to text in, over and out, eight, four, four, nine, six, seven, two, seven, eight, nine,

eight, four, four, nine, six, seven, seven, seven, seven, eight. Yes, we are now seeing,

depending on the coverage that you're watching, the vice president's husband is entering the chamber

that's Doug M. Hoff. In Kamala Harris and the speaker, the house seem very congenial. They're shaking

hands or laughing at each other. They're smiling. Some words being exchanged between them.

That's good to see. I mean, nobody thinks Mike Johnson's a jerk. No, right? That's not the problem

with Mike Johnson. The problem with Mike Johnson is that he wants to turn the clock back to the early

1900s. It's not lost on me. And certainly I don't think for any of our listeners.

First of all, Kamala Harris and Mike Johnson just met in the Oval Office over the

government shutdown negotiations. And considering Mike Johnson's statements about we need to get

back to 18th century values, the fact that a woman and a black woman, the first African

Asian American ever elected to the vice presidency is sitting to his immediate right,

must be quite the counterpoint to those 18th century values that he chooses to espouse so frequently.

First lady making her way into the chamber this evening. We thought it was Pat Leahy.

Pat Leahy in the audience, no longer a senator, right? No, Pat's been gone for a while,

but certainly a leader. Again, if you're watching C-SPAN, you're seeing the senator from Arizona.

The other notes that I'm just getting in, Senator Federman is not in attendance.

I guess last year there were some problems that were getting a gavel.

So maybe we got anything on your end, on your on your on production.

And there might not be something coming up, right? I'm getting some sound here.

Now let's just roll with this until we hear the Sergeant at Arms, William McFarland.

Again, for now, they're just kind of getting the cabinet coming in.

If you were Sergeant at Arms, I would expect your name to be something like William McFarland.

It just sounds sergeant at Arms, he doesn't it? Born for the job. Absolutely.

Again, Jill Biden, we talked about one of her guests. She must know somebody. She's got 20 guests

tonight. She's got quite a quite a list. One of them, Rashan Spivey of Milwaukee. Yes, I saw

that on the line. He's been replacing some lead lines. I believe he was a guest of the president

when he was in Milwaukee. Yes, he was. The president stopped by and he was because part of the president's

agenda. An ambitious goal at that is to ensure that all lead pipes are replaced in the country.

What an audacious goal, certainly something that everyone would do well to help get accomplished.

Again, we've got a one of Milwaukee's own, a Wisconsinite sitting in the first lady's box.

She basically has guests coming into a couple of categories. Again, women's right to choose

their health care. There's a number of guests. I'm counting around five guests that that represent

that viewpoint. What's going to be the Republican counter? Again, it's going to be Senator Kate

Britt doing a tap dance tonight, but just long term campaign when when they're out the Democrats

are out there pushing this. What are the Republicans going to come back with? What are they going to be

able to at least tell voters that might not agree with them at this point to try and sue them over?

Yeah, I don't know. There's not much of a response. We just

interior secretary might peep boot a judge walking into the chamber. I believe he's standing next to

representative Moore at the moment. And it appears that it's just the Democrat women that are

wearing white. Yes. So the Democratic women's caucus wearing white. You frequently see this

in large sessions of Congress. That's basically a representation of the women's movement

as well. Most of the Democratic women's caucus also wearing pins advocating for women's right

to choose trying to again take this issue and make it front and center. I think it is an issue.

The Democrats should continue to run on and like roll the tape back, right? In other words,

shove the president, the former presidents, shove the words of all of these different candidates

that have said the most extreme things about women's health care, run the tapes, make them

eat their words because now the tap dance is occurring, right? Abortion in no circumstances will

maybe rape and incest, right? And it goes on and on. And we're going to see that again from

Senator Kate Brett in the Republican response, Senator from Alabama. Where do you have note? She's the

youngest Senator ever. She's 42, pretty remarkable. She's also unsurprisingly the first female

Senator from Alabama. And she's not one of the names that you've heard kind of thrown around for

that vice president role on the Republican side. Though many consider this to be a pseudo audition

of sorts, but have they ever really worked out when that seems like that's always though,

well, this person we're going to give them the response. And then three, four years later,

well, where are you? Yeah, you know, it's one of those things. It's like being the number one

round draft pick. Yeah, often does not work out well for the number one first pick in the draft.

Very apt. I like it. Thank you, little sports and politics bringing it all together.

So again, I really do think that the way that she tries to address that is going to be fascinating.

One of the things that I always have found lacking about party response, whether coming from the

Democratic or the Republican side over the years, is that it tends to be in platitudes as opposed

to specific policy platform rebuttals. That's what I would like to see. So much of what we hear

from Republicans these days is basically like Blunderbuss. It's just sort of this a lot of

bloviating these general statements, very little grounding in specific policy initiatives.

Of course, Donald Trump ran without a published platform in 2020, right? And there's a good reason

for this. The man changes what he says about things on a nearly daily basis. He doesn't ever

stay on message. Can't read the teleprompter. So it's very hard for a party to coalesce around

specific policy ideas. But again, I expect to see more of that sort of Blunderbuss generalities

from Senator Britt in the rebuttal. And that's kind of what I was getting at earlier,

just watching Kamala Harrison and the speaker talking to each other like they're friendly at least.

And I think they something can go a long way with putting this on TV, putting these two people

in a room and just talk and communicate. And I think that there's a lot that could be done

with that. And I don't think the debates help in this arena because it turns into more of a

rehearsing the cats. I think is how they call it. Yeah, hurting the cats. Just to have two people

of just how disagreeing that it just again, it's weird to see these two people together

looking happy and talking and kind of just enjoying each other's company almost.

And it's it's it's it's strange that that's strange. I don't like that that strange. And it is

and I wish that it wasn't. And that's I kind of getting what you're talking about. You don't get

to talk in platitudes that way. You don't get to throw the bombs. You don't get to kind of be

that rough when you've got a human in front of you. And you've got to come to a some agreement.

And at least talk to each other like you're you're normal. Yeah, that's why I think debates have

largely devolved into a relevancy sort of showmanship. But one of ours. And we just watch

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin. Yeah, that was the chamber. Yep. We just missed the announcement.

You want to try it? Ladies and gentlemen, this guy looks like a surgeon at arms. President Joseph

Biden. Yeah, William McFarland just made the announcement. So the president is in the building

starting the glad handing. Like you said earlier, a lot of if you're watching this or listening at

this point, your hardcore, you've seen these things before. You know how they work. You get a bunch

of politicians that are interested in kind of getting on that camera and seeing a little bit.

It's literally pressing a flash followed immediately by

Chuck Schumer. Yep. You can see Hakeem Jeffries.

Let's put you in Congress, Maggie. Are you getting in the in the Gladhand line or are you

just going to kind of stay in your seat? I'm going to stay in my seat. I think I'm with you.

I'm not I'm not a big. What's my seats right there? For my seats like two or three away from the

edge. Maybe I'll kind of lean over. Absolutely. There are certain elected officials that I have met.

I met Vice President Gore when he was running for president. Okay. I met President Reagan,

played my violin form when he was in Milwaukee when I was a little tight. That was exciting.

And there is there is a certain magnetism that surrounds whoever is holding those highest

office or even running for them. It's an exciting place to be in proximity to some of these folks.

You see it when a president comes in my case to Kenosha. There's people lining up on the road

just to wave. Yes. Yes. Yes. Exactly. We see what I would say a diminished looking Mitch McConnell

also following behind the presidential looks to be in good form smiling. Is that Steve's police

back there? Yeah. Steve's police on his phone. Marjorie Taylor Green. Did you see the cut to her?

I did not. I did not doubt in full red mag a hat 45 on the side. Oh, that's charming.

Trump 2020. Who wears a hat? There's what there's one more. Oh, and Marjorie Taylor Green. Boy,

that's a shot right with with representative Moore standing right next to Marjorie Taylor Green.

What? I mean, apparently she's not going to shout out. She's just going to wear a hat.

How disrespectful. I believe that was the hand of Gwen Moore, given President Joe Biden a pat on

the shoulder. I mean, I guess I'd rather see her in the red get up than the bizarro faux white fur

that she that she wore last year looking a little bit like Karella DeVelle. Oh, there she is. There's

the Congressman getting a nice camera shot. She's getting her getting a picture of her own. I think

she's going to go back and look at that. Oh, I would get a concert. You know, you take a picture. You go

back and look at those. There she is. Some topics that were will be covered. Some excerpts of the

speech were released prescription drug costs. Very briefly, folks, you're listening to

Stuart J. Wattles and Maggie Dawn here on the Civic Media Radio Network. If you'd like to text

just questions, comments, thoughts that you have 844-967-2789. Stuart, you're just going to review

some of the topics we expect the President to cover this. Yeah, some excerpts have come out.

Not mentioning Trump by name is what's expected, but some illusions based on some lines about

age kind of equating the two, making them seem like they're similar ages where I think Trump is

four years younger. But topics include lowering prescription drug costs, lead pipe removal, consumer

tax credit programs, investments in affordable housing, optimistic outlooks on lower inflation,

and unemployment rates are things that they'll be talking about. The affordable housing I'm looking

forward to hearing more. Again, talking to Wisconsin voters. That's kind of what we're here for.

Absolutely. Here we see just very briefly representative Al Green of Texas with the President.

Oh, the phones are Senator Joe Manchin.

Say it selfies a bound. So it's Manchin, Romney, and Biden taking about 15, 20 seconds here,

glad ending. I'd like to go back and watch that. I didn't get to see it, but it'd be nice to slow

that down and kind of find out what they're all talking about there. Indeed. Oh, if I could read

this. Yes.

Here's someone online is going to go and make up what they say anyway. That's fun with that.

And Stuart, just for your information and for our viewers and listeners information,

Stuart's live feed is just a wee bit ahead of mine by about five to six seconds. As is the one

on our live stream, it will be disjointed from the audio. So I'm giving out spoilers. Yeah,

least people know what's coming next. What I'm seeing on you and what I'll narrate when I see

folks again, Al Green off the president's left shoulder, Chuck Schumer being joined by some of the

women of the Democratic caucus again wearing all white very easily identifiable. There you have

Joe Manchin off his left shoulder. I don't want to give any spoilers, but Joe Biden just took

somebody's phone and he's taken selfies. He knew how to change it from that front facing to rear

facing. Take that for what it's worth. Yeah. And like we talked earlier, just 65. We're hearing a

chant. Let's turn that up, Anya. Probably not the first first chant that will hear. I mean,

what I would really like to see personally is not just a speech that takes up the issues,

but also decorum return to the body. Again, I would like to make American normal again. I'd like

people to conduct themselves in an appropriate way in this moment. This is an incredibly important

speech. It's incredibly important for the country, no matter who you may vote for. And let's

conduct ourselves with some dignity. And there is Justice Jackson. He went on down the line. He's

every single one of them that were there. Chief Justice Roberts. You know, and I didn't see

come across and I don't think that they let us know until now, but did you hear anything about the

designated survivor? I did not. Looked earlier. And again, they haven't, they usually don't

announce that until I think once we get going here. So if you're not familiar with the designated

survivor, here you have this moment where basically the folks that are in the line of succession

within the United States governments are basically in one place. And that means that someone

who can run the country, ain't in the chamber in case the unthinkable and terrible

happens. That is the quote designated survivor. I was reading an account of someone who had gone

through this process before and it's extremely interesting. You get representatives from every

single department showing up with a suitcase to Andrews. And then you have an option. There go bag,

if you will, in every single department. And you got an option. Do you want to go open the plane

or do you want to go somewhere else? So that's how the designated survivor this year,

education secretary Miguel Cardona. Interesting. That's one of the topics that I would love to see

the president address. And that is education and what has been going on in our schools.

I've talked about it frequently on my show. I've had some guests on, talk about your choice in

charter programs and the defunding of public education in many ways. As well as the fact that

it appears that a particularly ruined strain of Christian nationalism has basically attempted

to take over public education and be interesting to see if the president makes any direct comments

about the book banning and this sort of suppression of anything that doesn't fit that Christian

nationalist viewpoint during a speech tonight. I would expect at least some hat tip

towards public education. I believe the president is taking the day.

We'll resume after. Yes we will. Talk about what's going on. Give you the Republican response.

And he passes a copy of his speech to the speaker of the house. I'll never forget the moment

watching Nancy Pelosi tear that puppy up. Custom Eric tradition. Yes. And one copy to the vice president.

A salute.

Oh yeah you started the timer in there 65 minutes. Ready to go. Here we go.

A sustained standing ovation. Good evening.

Good evening. In 26 p.m.

If I were smart, I'd go home now.

Mr. Speaker, Madame Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans. In January 1941,

Franklin Roosevelt came to this chamber to speak to the nation. And he said, I address you at a

moment unprecedented in history of the Union. Hitler was on the march. War was raging in Europe.

President Roosevelt's purpose was to wake up Congress and alert the American people

that this was no ordinary time. Freedom and democracy were under assault in the world.

Tonight I come to the same chamber to address the nation. Now it's we who face unprecedented

moment in history of the Union. And yes, I purpose the night is to wake up the Congress

and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment either.

Not since President Lincoln and the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at

home as there are today. What makes our moment rare is the freedom and democracy are under

attack at both at home and overseas at the very same time. Overseas, Putin of Russia is on the

march, invading Ukraine and sowing chaos throughout Europe and beyond. If anybody in this room

thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you he will not.

Well landed point.

But Ukraine.

Ukraine can stop Putin.

Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapon that needs to defend itself.

That is all. That is all Ukraine is asking. They're not asking for American soldiers.

In fact, there are no American soldiers worthy of Ukraine and I'm determined to keep it that way.

But now, assistance to Ukraine is being blocked by those who want to walk away from our world leadership.

It was a long ago when a Republican president named Ronald Reagan thundered Mr. Gorbachev

tear down this wall.

Now, my predecessor, a former Republican president tells Putin,

don't do whatever the hell you want.

That's a quote.

A former president actually said that bowing down to a Russian leader, I think it's outrageous, it's dangerous, and it's unacceptable.

Mike Johnson nodding at that point.

The Speaker of the House nodding at that point. A direct criticism.

The military alliance of Democratic nations created after World War II to prevent war and keep the peace.

And today, we've made NATO stronger than ever. We welcomed Finland to the alliance last year.

And just this morning, Sweden officially joined and their ministers here tonight to stand up.

In the first lady's box, the Prime Minister of Sweden.

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

And they know how to fight. Mr. Prime Minister, welcome to NATO.

The strongest military alliance the world has ever seen.

I say this to Congress, we have to stand up to Putin.

Send me a bipartisan national security bill.

History is literally watching. History is watching.

The United States walks away. It will put Ukraine at risk.

Europe is at risk.

The free world will be at risk and bolding others to do what they wish to do us harm.

My message to President Putin I've known for a long time is simple.

We will not walk away.

We will not bow down.

I will not bow down.

I will not bow down.

Join some sharp contrast here.

What a little sense. History is watching. History is watching.

Just like history watched three years ago on January 6th.

When insurrection stormed this very capital and placed the dagger to throw to the American democracy.

Many of you are here on that darkest of days.

We all saw with our own eyes the insurrectionists were not patriots.

They had come to stop the peace of transfer of power to overturn the will of the people.

January 6th lies about the 2020 election and the plots that steal the election posed a great,

greatest threat to U.S. democracy since the Civil War.

But they failed.

America stood strong and democracy prevailed.

I must be honest, the threat to democracy must be defended.

My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about January 6th.

I will not do that.

This is the moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies.

Here's the simple truth.

You can't love your country only when you win.

As I've done ever since being elected to office, I ask all of you without regard to party to join together in defending democracy.

Remember your oath of office is defending as all threats foreign and domestic.

Respect.

Respect free and fair elections. Restore trust in our institutions.

And make clear political violence has absolutely no place, no place in America, zero place.

Again.

It's not hyperbole.

So suggest history is watching or watching.

Your children and grandchildren will read about this day and what we do.

History is watching another assault on freedom.

During this the light is the Toyota Beasley, a social worker from Birmingham, Alabama.

14 months ago, she and her husband welcomed a baby girl thanks to the miracle of IVF.

She scheduled a treatment to have that second child.

But the Alabama Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state.

On a lease by Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v Wade, she was told her dream would have to wait.

The family that got through should never have happened unless Congress acts that could happen again.

So tonight, let's stand up for families like hers to my friends across the aisle.

Don't keep this waiting longer.

Guarantee the right to IVF.

Guarantee admission wise.

Like most Americans, I believe Roe v Wade got it right.

I thank Vice President Harris for being an incredible leader defending reproductive freedom.

He's so much more.

Thank you.

Our predecessor came to office determined to see Roe v Wade overturn.

He's the reason he's overturned.

And he brags about it.

Look at the chaos.

That has resulted.

Join us tonight as Kate Cox, a wife and mother from Dallas.

She's become pregnant again and had a fetus of a fatal condition.

Her doctor told Kate that her own life and her ability to have children in the future were at risk if she didn't act.

Because Texas law banned her ability to act.

Kate and her husband had to leave the state to get what she needed.

What her family got through should have never happened as well.

But it's happening to too many others.

There are state laws banning the freedom to choose criminalizing doctors forcing survivors of rape and incest to leave their states to get the treatment they need.

Many of you in this chamber and my predecessor are promising to pass a national ban on reproductive freedom.

My God, what freedom else would you take away?

Look, it's a decision to overturn Roe v Wade's Supreme Court majority wrote the following.

And with all due respect, justices.

Women are not without electoral power.

Excuse me, electoral or political power.

You're about to realize just how much you get brought up.

The justice sits stoically.

At least for not seeing head shaking.

Clearly.

Those bragging about overturned Roe v Wade have no clue about the power of women.

But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot, we won in 2022 and 2020.

And we'll win again in 2024.

The women's caucus sitting as a block and rising in a standing ovation.

A few of the American people sent me a congress to support the right to choose.

I promise you, I'll restore Roe v Wade as the law of the land again.

America can not go back.

I'm here tonight to show what I believe is the way forward.

Because I know how far we come.

Four years ago, next week, before I came to office, the country was hit by the worst pandemic and the worst economic crisis in a century.

Remember the fear, record losses, remember the spikes in crime and the murder rate, raging virus.

It took more than one million American lives of loved ones, millions left behind.

A mental health crisis, a isolation and loneliness.

A president, my predecessor, failed the most basic presidential duty that he owes to American people, the duty to care.

I think that's unforgivable.

I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in the nation's history.

We have.

It doesn't make new, but news in a thousand cities and towns, the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told.

So let's tell the story here.

Tell it here and now.

America's comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out in the bottom up, not the top down.

Investing in all America, in all Americans, to make every sure everyone has a fair shot.

We leave no one, no one behind.

The pandemic no longer controls our lives.

The vaccines that saved us from COVID are now being used to beat cancer, turning setback into comeback.

That's what America does.

That's what America does.

Folks, I inherited economists on the brink.

Now our economy is literally the envy of the world.

15 million new jobs in just three years.

A record.

Unemployment.

A 50-year-old.

A record 16 million Americans are starting small businesses and each one is a literal act of hope.

With historic job growth and small business growth for black and Hispanics and Asian Americans, 800,000 new manufacturing jobs in America and counting.

Where is it written? We can't be the manufacturing capital of the world. We are. We will.

More people have helped insurance today.

More people have helped insurance today than ever before.

The racial wealth gap is as small as it's been in 20 years.

Where you just keep going up and place you keeps coming down.

The population has dropped from 9% to 3% the lowest in the world and 10% lower.

The landing isn't will be solved.

And now instead of importing foreign products and exporting American jobs, we're exporting American products and creating American jobs.

Right here in America, where they belong.

And it takes time, but the American people are beginning to feel it.

Consumer studies show consumer confidence is soaring.

Buy America has been the law of the land since the 1930s.

Passed administrations, including my predecessor, including some Democrats as well in the past, failed to buy American.

Not anymore.

On my watch, federal projects that you fund by helping build American roads, bridges, and highways will be made with American products and built by American workers.

They're a good paying American job.

And thanks to our Chips and Science Act, the United States is investing more research and development than ever before.

During the pandemic, a shortage of semiconductors, chips that drove up the price of everything from cell phones to automobiles.

And by the way, we invented those chips right here in America.

Well, instead of having them port them, we private companies are now investing billions of dollars to build new chip factors here in America.

Creating tens of thousands of jobs.

Many of those jobs paying $100,000 a year and don't require a college degree.

In fact, my policies have attracted $650 billion in private sector investment, and clean energy, advanced manufacturing, creating tens of thousands of jobs here in America.

And thanks to our bipartisan infrastructure law, 46,000 new projects have been announced all across your communities.

And by the way, I noticed some of you strongly voted against it or they're cheering on that money coming in.

Well said.

I'm with you.

If any of you don't want that money in your district, just let me know.

Modernize that road and bring its ports and airports, public transit systems.

Removing points of this lead pipe so every child can drink clean water without risk of rain damage.

Providing affordable, affordable high-speed internet for every American no matter where you live, urban, suburban, or rural communities in red states and blue states.

Record investments in tribal communities because of my investment in family farm.

Red by my sector agriculture knows more about this than anybody I know.

We're better able to stay in the family for those farms and their children and grandchildren who want to leave home to make a living.

It's transformative.

The great comeback story is Belvedere Illinois, home to an auto plant for nearly 60 years.

Before I came to office, the plant was on its way to shutting down.

Thousands of workers feared for their livelihoods.

Hope was fading.

Then I was elected to the office and we raised the Belvedere repeatedly with auto companies knowing unions would make all the difference.

The UAW work like hell to keep the plant open and get these jobs back and together we succeeded.

Instead of auto factories shutting down, auto factories re-opening the new state-of-the-art battery factories being built to power those cars there at the same...

The folks of Belvedere I say instead of your town being left behind, your community is moving forward again.

Because instead of watching auto jobs in the future, go overseas.

4,000 union jobs with higher wages are building the future in Belvedere right here in America.

Here tonight is UAW President Sean Fein, a great friend and a great labor leader.

Sean, where are you?

Stand up.

And Dawn. And Dawn Sim, a third generation worker, UAW worker at Belvedere.

Sean, I was proud to be the first president to stand on the picket line and today Dawn has a good job in her hometown providing stability for her family and pride and dignity as well.

Sean, once again Wall Street didn't build America, they're not bad guys, they didn't build it though.

The middle class built the country and unions built the middle class.

I say to the American people, when America gets knocked down we get back up.

We keep going. That's America.

That's you, the American people.

It's because of you, America is coming back. It's because of you, our future is brighter. It's because of you that tonight we can probably say the state of our union is strong and getting stronger.

So tonight, I want to talk about the future of possibilities that we can build together.

A future where the days of trickle down economics are over and the wealth in the biggest corporations no longer get the law of the tax breaks.

And by the way, I understand corporations, I come from a state that has more corporations invested than every one of your states in the United States combined.

And I've represented it for 36 years, I'm not anti-corporation, but I grew up in a home where trickle down economics didn't put much in my dad's kitchen table.

That's why I determined to turn things around. Some middle class does well. When they do well, the poorer way up in the wealthy still do very well.

We all do well. And there's more to do to make sure you're feeling the benefits of all we're doing.

Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere in the world. It's wrong and I'm ending it.

For the law, the right to pose and sign, not one of the Republican buddies work vote for it. We finally beat Big Pharma.

Instead of paying $400 a month or thereabouts for insulin with diabetes and it only costs 10 bucks to make.

They only get paid 35 a month now and still make healthy profit.

And I want to do next. I want to cap the cost of insulin $35 a month for every American New Needle, everyone.

For years, people have talked about it, but finally we got it done and gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices than prescription drugs.

Just like the VA is able to do for veterans. That's not just saving seniors money. It's saving taxpayers money.

We cut the federal deficit by a $160 billion. Because Medicare, there are no longer have to pay those exorbitant prices at the Big Pharma.

This year, Medicare is negotiating lower prices for some of the costliest drugs in the market.

To treat everything from heart to disease to arthritis. It's now time to go further and give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for 500 different drugs over the next decade.

We're making a lot of money, guys. And they'll still be extremely profitable.

We'll not only save lives, but we'll save taxpayers another $200 billion.

Starting next year, the same law caps total prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare at $2,000 a year.

Even for expensive cancer drugs that cost $10,000, $15,000.

Now I want to cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year for everyone.

Well, I'm getting trouble for saying that, but if you want to get in there for us,

I'm going to be invited to Toronto, Berlin, Moscow. I mean, excuse me. And well, even Moscow, probably.

And bring your prescription with you, and I promise you I'll get it for you for 40% the cost you're paying now.

Same company, same drug, same place. Folks, the Affordable Care Act,

the old Womacare. It's still a very big deal.

Over 100 million of you can no longer be denied health insurance because of pre-existing condition.

Well, my predecessor, many in this chamber, want to take for this prescription drug away by repealing Affordable Care Act.

I'm not going to let that happen.

We stopped you 50 times before it will stop you again.

In fact, I'm not only protecting it, and I'm expanding it.

We enacted tax credits of $800 per person per year, reduced health care costs for millions of working families.

That tax credit expires next year. I want to make that savings permanent.

To state the obvious, women are more than half of our population, but research of women's health has always been underfunded.

That's why we're launching the first ever White House initiative on Women's Health Research, led by Jill doing an incredible job as First Lady.

We've passed my plan for $12 billion of transfer of women's health research and benefit millions of lives all across America.

I know the cost of housing is so important to you.

Inflation keeps coming down, mortgage rates will come down as well, and the Fed acknowledges that.

But I'm not waiting. I want to provide an annual tax credit that will give Americans $400 a month for the next two years as mortgage rates come down.

To put toward their mortgages when they buy their first home, or trade up for a little more space.

Just for two years.

And my administration is also eliminating title insurance on federally backed mortgages.

When you refinance your home, you can save $1,000 of more as a consequence.

For millions of renters, we're cracking down on big landlords who use antitrust laws by price fixing and driving up rents.

With cut red tape, so builders can get federally financing, which is already helping build a record 1.7 million new housing units nationwide.

Now pass.

Now pass and build and renovate 2 million affordable homes and bring those rents down.

To remain the strongest economy in the world, we need to have the best education system in the world.

And I like I suspect all of you want to give a child every child a good start by providing access to preschool for three and four years old.

You know, I think I pointed out last year.

I think I pointed out last year that children are coming from broken homes where there's no books and not redo, not spoken to very often.

Start school kindergarten or first grade hearing having heard a million few words spoken.

We'll study show that children are going to preschool in nearly 50% more likely to finish high school.

Go on to earn a 2 and 4 degree no matter what their background is.

I met a year and a half ago with the leaders of the business round table.

They were mad that I they were angry.

I said, well, they were discussing why I wanted to spend money on education.

I pointed out to them as vice president.

I met with over eight I think was 182 of those folks don't hold me the exact number.

And I asked them what they need most, the CEOs.

And you've had the same experience of both sides now.

They say a better educated workforce, right?

So I looked at them and I say I come from Delaware.

The point used to be the eighth largest corporation in the world.

And every new enterprise they bought they educated the workforce to that enterprise.

But none of you do that anymore.

Why are you angry with me providing you the opportunity for the best educated workforce in the world?

And they all looked at me and said, I think you're right.

I want to expand high quality tutoring in summer learning to see that every child learns the read by Chris Gray.

I'm also connecting local businesses in high schools.

So students get hands-on experience in the path the good-paying job whether or not they go to college.

And I want to make sure the college is more affordable.

Let's continue increasing the Pell grants to working in middle-class families and increase record investments.

In HBCU, the minority serving institution could be a Hispanic institution.

And I was told I couldn't universally just change the way in which that was student loans.

I fixed two student loan programs that already existed.

I reduced the burden of student debt for nearly four million Americans including nurses, firefighters, and others in public service.

Like Keenan Jones, the public educator of Minnesota, who's here with us tonight.

Keenan, where are you?

Thank you.

He's educated hundreds of students so they can go to college.

Now he's able to help after debt forgiveness get his own daughter to college.

You're listening to special coverage on WAUK Jackson WMDX Columbus, WGVW Denmark, and WLCX LaCrosse.

Start a family.

While we're at it, I want the public school teachers a raise.

And by the way, the first couple is we cut the deficit.

Now, let me speak to the question of fundamental fairness for all Americans.

I've been delivering real results in frisically responsible ways.

We've already cut the federal deficit over a trillion dollars.

I signed the bipartisan deal.

I cut another trillion dollars in the next decade.

It's my goal to cut the federal deficit over another three trillion by making big corporations very wealthy, finally beginning to pay their fair share.

Look, I'm a capitalist.

If you want to make a million or millions of bucks, that's great.

Just pay your fair share in taxes.

A fair tax code is how we invest things to make this country great.

Healthcare, education, defense, and so much more.

But here's the deal.

The last administration enacted a two trillion dollar tax cut over a well-money benefit, the top in one percent, the very wealthy, the biggest corporation, and exploded the federal deficit.

They added more to the national debt than any presidential term in American history.

Check the numbers.

Folks at home, does anybody really think the tax code is fair?

Do you really think the wealthy and big corporations need another two trillion dollar tax break?

I sure don't.

I'm going to keep fighting like hell to make it fair.

Under my plan, nobody earning less than $400,000 will pay additional penny in federal taxes.

Nobody not one penny.

And they haven't yet.

In fact, the child tax credit I passed during the pandemic cut taxes for millions of working families and cut child poverty in half.

Restore that child tax credit.

No child should go hungry in this country.

The way to make the tax code fair is to make big corporations in the very wealthy begin to pay their fair share.

Remember in 2020, 55 of the biggest companies in America made $40 billion and paid zero in federal income tax.

Not anymore.

Thanks to the law I wrote when we signed, big companies have to pay a minimum of 50 percent.

But that's still less than working people pay in federal taxes.

It's time to raise corporate minimum tax to at least 21 percent.

So every big corporation finally begins to pay their fair share.

I also want to end tax breaks for big farmer, big oil, private checks, massive executive payments, only supposed to be a million dollars to be deducted.

They can pay them 20 million if they want, but deduct a million.

End it now.

You know there are 1,000 billionaires in America.

You know what the average federal taxes for those billionaires?

No.

They're making great sacrifices, 8.2 percent.

That's far less than the vast majority of Americans pay.

No billionaires should pay a lower federal tax rate than a teacher or sanitation worker or a nurse.

I propose a minimum tax for billionaires that 25 percent, just 25 percent.

You know what that would raise? That would raise 500 billion dollars over the next 10 years.

And imagine what that could do for America.

Imagine a future with affordable childcare.

Millies of families can get the need to go to work to help throw the economy.

Imagine a future with paid leave because no one should have to choose between working and taking care of their fixed family member.

Imagine a future of home care and elder care and people living with disabilities so they can stay in their homes and family caregivers can finally get the pay they deserve.

Tonight, let's all agree once again to stand up for seniors.

Many of my friends on the other side of Iowa want to put social security on the chopping block.

If anyone here tries to cut social security and Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop you.

The working people, the working people who built this country pay more into social security than millionaires than billionaires do.

It's not fair.

We have two ways to go.

The Republicans can cut social security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy.

Iowa, that's the proposal.

Oh, no.

You guys don't want another $2 trillion tax cut?

I kind of thought that's what your plan was.

Well, that's good to hear.

You're not going to cut another $2 trillion of the super wealth. That's good to hear.

Well, protect and strengthen social security and make the wealthy pay their fair share.

Look.

Too many corporations raise prices to pad their profits, charging more and more for less and less.

That's where it's cracking down on corporations and engaging price gouging into accepted pricing from food to health care to housing.

In fact, the snack companies think you won't notice if they change the size of the bag and put a hell of a lot fewer...

Same size bag.

Put fewer chips in it.

No, I'm not joking. It's called String Flasers.

That's Bobby Casey's bill and stop this.

I really mean it.

You probably also saw that commercial on Snickers bars.

You get the charges same amount and you got about, I don't know, 10% fewer Snickers in it.

Look, I'm also getting rid of junk fees.

Those hidden fees at the end of your bill that are there without your knowledge.

My administration announced we're cutting credit card late fees from $32 to $8.

Banks and credit card companies are allowed to charge, would have cost them to instigate the collection.

And that's more a hell of a lot like $8 and $30 some dollars.

They don't like it.

Credit card companies don't like it.

But I'm saving American families $20 billion a year with all the junk fees I'm eliminated.

Folks at home.

That's where the banks are so mad as $20 billion in profit.

I'm not stopping there.

My administration has proposed rules to make cable, travel, utilities, and online ticket sellers

tell you the total price up front so there are no surprises.

It mattered.

It mattered.

And so does this.

In November, my team began serious negotiation with a bipartisan group of senators.

The result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security reforms we've ever seen.

Oh, you don't think so?

Oh, you don't like that bill, huh?

That conservatives got together and said it was a good bill?

I'll be darned.

That's amazing.

That bipartisan bill would hire 1,500 more security agents and officers.

100 more immigration judges help tackle the back load of two-minute cases, 4,300 more asylum officers

and new policies so they can resolve cases in six months instead of six years now.

He needs to slow it down a little bit, right?

I think it's doing fine.

I don't mind the speed.

He needs to run at that.

He needs to run at that.

To significantly increase the ability to screen and stop vehicles smuggling fentanyl in

America.

That's killing thousands of children.

This bill would save lives.

A majority of the border.

There will also give me and any new president, new emergency authority temporarily shut down the border

with a number of migrants that the border is overwhelming.

The Border Patrol Union is endorsed this bill.

The Federal Chamber of Commerce is it?

Yeah, yeah.

You're saying, oh, look at the facts.

I know.

Point.

I know you know how to read.

I believe that given the opportunity for a majority in the House and Senate would endorse the bill as well.

A majority right now.

But unfortunately, politics has derailed this bill so far.

I'm told my predecessor called members of Congress in the Senate to demand they block the bill.

He feels political win.

He will be a political win for me and a political loser for him.

It's not about him.

It's not about me.

I'd be a winner, not really.

All right.

It's Marjorie Taylor Greene speaking up about Lincoln Riley and Georgia.

Wanting to heard it.

Wanting to see her name.

An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal.

That's right.

But how many of thousands of people being killed by legal?

To her parents, I say, my heart goes out to you having lost children myself.

I understand.

But look, if we change the dynamic at the border, people pay people pay these smugglers 8,000 bucks to get across the border.

Because they know if they get by, if they get by and let into the country, it's six to eight years before they have a hearing.

And it's worth taking the chance to the 8,000.

But, but, if it's only six months, six weeks, the idea is it's highly unlikely that people will pay that money and gum all that way knowing that they'll be able to be kicked out quickly.

Folks, I would respectfully say to suggest my Republican friends over to the American people get this bill done.

We need to act now.

And by predecessors watching, instead of paying politics and pressuring members of Congress to block the bill, join me in telling the Congress to pass it.

We can do it together, but that's what he apparently hears what he will not do.

I will not demonize immigrants saying they are poisoned in the blood of our country.

I will not separate families.

I will not be in people because of their faith.

Unlike my predecessor on my first day in office, I introduced a comprehensive bill to fix immigration system, take a look at it as all these and more.

Secure the border, provide a pathway to citizenship for dreamers, and so much more.

But unlike my predecessor, I know who we are as Americans.

We're the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new.

Home to Native Americans, the ancestors have been here for thousands of years.

Home to people from every place on earth.

They came freely, some came in chains, some came when famine struck like my ancestral family in Ireland, some the flea persecution, to chase dreams that are impossible anywhere but here in America.

That's America, and we all come from somewhere, but we're all Americans.

Look folks, get a simple choice.

We can fight about fixing the border or we can fix it.

I'm ready to fix it.

Send me the border bill now.

A transformational moment in history happened fifty-eight, fifty-nine years ago today in Selma, Alabama.

Hundreds of foot soldiers were just as marched across the Edmund Pettis Bridge, named after the Grand Dragon of the Coocus Clan, to claim their fundamental right to vote.

They were beaten, they were bloody, and left for dead.

Our late friend and former colleague John Lewis was on that march.

We miss him.

Joining us tonight.

However, Marche, both in the Gowerian on the floor, including Betty Mae Fikes, known as the Voice of Selma, the daughter of gospel singers and preachers, she sang songs of prayer and protest on that bloody Sunday to help shake the nation's conscience.

Five months later, the Voting Rights Act passed and was signed in the law.

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

For fifty-nine years later, their forces taken us back in time, voter suppression, election subversion, unlimited dark money, extreme gerrymandering.

John Lewis is a great friend to many of us here, but if you truly want to honor him and all the heroes of Marche with him, then it's time to do more than talk.

We ask the freedom to vote at the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Stop the nine, another core value of America, our diversity across American life, banning books, it's wrong.

Instead of erasing history, that's make history.

I want to protect fundamental rights, past the Equality Act.

This is a change in the Americans. I have your back.

Past the pro-act, the work is right.

Raised the federal minimum wage, because every worker has a right to a decent living, more than a seven bucks an hour.

I'm also making history by confronting the climate crisis, not denying it.

I don't think any of you think there's no longer climate crisis, at least I hope you don't.

I'm taking the most significant action ever on climate in the history of the world.

I'm cutting our carbon emissions in half by 2030, creating tens of thousands of clean energy jobs, like the IBW work is building in solid,

500,000 electric vehicle charging stations.

Conserving 30% of America's land and water by 2030, and taking action on environmental justice,

fence line, community smothered by the legacy of pollution.

And pattern after the Peace Corps and America Corps, I launched the climate corps to put 20,000 young people to work

in the forefront of our clean energy future. I'll triple that number in a decade.

To state the obvious, all Americans deserve the freedom to be safe, and America's safer today than when I took office.

Year before I took office murder rates went up 30%, they went up.

The biggest increase in history.

It was then, through my American Rescue Plan, which every American voted against I mad at,

we made the largest investment in public safety ever.

Last year, the murder rates are the softest decrease in history.

Violin crime fell to one of the lowest levels of more than 50 years.

But we have more to do. We have to help cities invest in more community police officers,

more mental health workers, more community violence than innovation.

Get communities to toll the crackdown on gun crime, retail crime, and car jacking.

Keep building trust that they've been doing by taking executive action on police reform,

and calling for it to be the law of the land.

Directing my cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana and expunging thousands of convictions for the mere possession,

because no one should be jailed for simply using or having them directly.

Take on crimes of domestic violence.

I'm ramping up the federal enforcement of the Violence Against Women Act that I proudly wrote when I was a senator.

So we can finally, finally end the scourge against women in America.

The other kinds of violence I want to stop.

With us tonight is Jasmine, whose nine-year-old sister Jackie was murdered

with 21 classmates and teachers in elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

Very soon after that happened, Jill and I went to Uvalde for a couple of days.

We spent hours and hours with each of the families.

We heard their message, so everyone in this room and this chamber could hear the same message.

The constant refrain, and I was there for hours meeting with every family.

They said, do something.

Do something.

Well, I did do something by stabbing the first ever Office of gun violence prevention in the White House

of the Vice President leading the choice.

Thank you for doing it.

Meanwhile.

Meanwhile, my predecessor told the NRA, he's proud he did nothing on guns when he was president.

After another shooting in Iowa recently, he said, when asked what to do,

he said, just get over it.

There is his quote, just get over it.

I say, stop it.

Stop it, stop it, stop it.

I'm proud to be the NRA when I sign most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years

because of this Congress.

We now almost beat the NRA again.

I'm demanding a ban on a slow weapons and high capacity magazine.

Pass universal background checks.

None of this.

None of this.

I taught the Second Amendment for 12 years.

None of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners.

You know, as he managed challenges home, we're also managing crisis abroad, including in the Middle East.

I know the last five months have been gut-wrenching for so many people, for the Israeli people, for the Palestinian people, and so many here in America.

This crisis began on October 7th with a massacre by a terrorist group called Hamas, as you all know.

1,200 innocent people, women and girls, men and boys slaughtered

during sexual violence.

The deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and 250 hostages taken.

Here in this chamber tonight, our families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas,

I pledge to all the families that will not rest until we bring everyone here to love one's home.

We also...

We will also work around the clock to bring home Evan and Paul Americans being unjustly detained by the Russians and others around the world.

Israel has a right to go after Hamas. Hamas entered this conflict by releasing hostages laying down arms,

could end it by releasing the hostages laying down arms and surrending those responsible for October 7th.

But Israel has a... excuse me, Israel has an added burden because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population like cowards under hospitals,

thank you centers and all the like.

Israel also has a fundamental responsibility, though, to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.

This war has taken a greater total of innocent civilians in all previous wars in Gaza combined,

or than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, most of whom are not Hamas, thousands and thousands of innocent,

women and children and girls and boys, also orphaned, nearly 2 million more Palestinians under bombardment or displacement.

Homes, destroyed neighbors and rubble, cities and ruined, families out of food, water, medicine, it's heartbreaking.

I've been working nonstop to establish an immediate ceasefire that would last for six weeks to get all the prisoners released, all the hostages released.

To get the hostages home and ease the intolerable and hammer humanitarian crisis and build toward and enduring a more something more enduring.

The United States and the leading international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Tonight, I'm directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary peer in the Mediterranean on the coast of Gaza,

that can receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelter.

No U.S. boots will be on the ground.

A temporary peer will enable a massive increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting in Gaza every day.

And Israel must do its part.

Israel must allow more aid in the Gaza and ensure humanitarian workers aren't caught in the crossfire.

They're announcing they're going to have a crossing in northern Gaza.

The leadership of Israel, I say this, humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip.

Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be priority.

As we look to the future, the only real solution to the situation is a two-state solution over time.

And I say this, as a lifelong supporter of Israel, my entire career, no one has a stronger record with Israel than I do.

I challenge any of you here.

I'm the only American president of Israel on wartime.

But there is no other path that guarantees Israel's security and democracy.

There is no other path that guarantees that Palestinian can live in peace with peace and dignity.

There is no other path that guarantees peace between Israel and all of its neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, with whom I'm talking.

Credits to building the Middle East also means containing the threat posed by Iran.

That's why I've built a coalition of more than a dozen countries to defend international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

I've ordered strikes to degrade the Houthi capability and defend U.S. forces in the region.

As Commander-in-Chief, I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and our military personnel.

For a year, I've heard many of my Republican and Democratic friends say that China is on the rise, and America is falling behind.

They've got a backwards.

I've been saying it for over four years, even when I wasn't president.

America is rising.

We have the best economy in the world.

And since I've come to office, our GTP is up.

Our trade deficit of China is down to the lowest point in over a decade.

And we're standing up against China's unfair economic practices.

We're standing up for peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

I revitalized our partnership and alliance in the Pacific.

India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Pacific Islands.

I've made sure that the most advanced American technologies can't be used in China, not allowing to trade them there.

Frankly, for all this tough talk on China, it never occurred to my predecessor to do any of that.

I want competition with China not conflict.

I want a stronger position to win the conflict of the 21st century against China than anyone else for that matter, than any time as well.

Here at home, I've signed over 400 bipartisan bills.

There's more to pass my unity agenda.

Strengthened penalties on fentanyl trafficking.

You don't want to do that, huh?

Pass bipartisan privacy that says to protect our children online.

Harness.

Harness the promise of AI to protect us from peril.

Ben, AI voice impersonations and more.

And keep our truly sacred obligation to train and equip those we send in the harm's way and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don't.

That's why the song Support and Help of Dennis and the VA.

I signed the Pact Act.

One of the most significant laws ever.

Helping millions of veterans exposed the toxin, who now are battling more than 100 different cases.

Many of them don't come home.

But we owe them and their families support.

We owe it to ourselves to keep supporting our new health research agency called ARPA H.

And remind us.

Remind us that we can do big things like end cancer as we know it and we will.

Let me close with this.

I know you don't want to hear anymore Lindsey, but I gotta say a few more things.

I know it may not look like it, but I've been around a while.

When you get to be my age, certain things become clearer than ever.

I know the American story.

Again and again, I've seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation.

Between those who want to pull America back to the past, those who want to move America into the future.

My lifetime is taught me to embrace freedom and democracy.

A future based on core values that define America, honesty, decency, dignity, equality to respect everyone.

To give everyone a fair shot, to give hate, no safe harbor.

The other people my age see it differently.

The American story of resentment, revenge, and retribution.

That's not me.

I was born amid World War II when America stood for the freedom of the world.

I grew up in Scran, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware among working class people who built this country.

I watched in horror as two of my heroes, like many of you, to Dr. King and Bobby Cunning to assassinate it.

And the legacy inspired me to pursue a career in service.

I left the law firm became a public defender because my city of Wilmington was the only city in America occupied the National Guard after Dr. King was assassinated because of the riots.

I became a county councilman, almost by accident.

I got elected the United States Senate when I had no intention of running at age 29.

Then vice president of our first black president.

Now president of the first women vice president.

In my career, I've been told I was too young.

By the way, they didn't let me on ascended elevators for votes sometimes.

Not a joke.

And I've been told I'm too old.

Whether young or old, I've always been known.

I've always known what endures.

I've known our North Star.

The very idea of America is they were all created equal.

It deserves to be treated equally throughout our lives.

We've never fully lived up to that idea, but we've never walked away from it either.

And I won't walk away from it now.

I'm optimistic.

I really am. I'm optimistic, Nancy.

My fellow Americans, an issue facing our nation, isn't how old we are.

It's how older our ideas.

Hey, angry grand repribution of the oldest of ideas.

But you can't lead America with ancient ideas.

You only take us back.

You lead America, the land of possibilities.

You need a vision for the future and what can and should be done.

Tonight you've heard mine.

I see a future where defending democracy.

You don't diminish it.

I see a future where we restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms.

Not take them away.

I see a future for the middle class as finally as a fair shot.

And the wealthy have to pay their fair share in taxes.

I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.

Above all, I see a future for all Americans.

I see a country for all Americans.

I will always be president for all Americans.

Because I believe in America.

I believe in you, the American people.

You're the reason we've never been more optimistic about our future than I am now.

So let's build a future together.

Let's remember who we are.

We are the United States of America.

And there is nothing.

Nothing beyond our capacity.

And we act together.

God bless you all.

And may God protect our troops.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Clocking in it just under 70 minutes.

So we are both wrong.

We are both wrong.

We have the under.

I have to say my immediate impressions are this.

An incredibly strong performance from the president.

He has made an affirmative case.

He handled the disruptions in the chamber.

I think with a plum.

He took on the tough issues.

And again, I think he tried to remind everyone listening of the basic American values

and drew an extraordinarily sharp contrast between his vision,

his orientation towards the future, his affirmation of American values,

and the mega presidents, former presidents.

I think it was an extremely effective speech overall.

It was a strong showing from President Biden tonight.

Yeah, and I'm not going so much on the content.

It's the delivery that I'm not saying it's off-putting.

It just wasn't a great delivery.

In times it just got too quick.

There was a lot of words that kind of got mushed together.

It was kind of tough.

I think there could have been more punchy lines,

more of an effective delivery,

if some of these lines that he was prepared had gotten out.

And I think it was a little bit disjointed.

And I don't think it did anything to reassure any voter that may have thought

that maybe this guy is not in it for the long haul.