USA
State of the Union address: Biden promotes “Made in America”
US President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address. Behind him, Vice President Kamala Harris applauds, next to him sits Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House. photo
© Jacquelyn Martin/AP POOL/dpa
Speaking before Congress is a tradition for US Presidents. This time Joe Biden uses the big stage for a message to his compatriots. In Berlin and Europe, that shouldn’t go down particularly well.
Despite a shielding of the US economy feared by Germany and other EU countries, President Joe Biden is counting on even more favors for domestic industry. “I know I’ve been criticized for this, but I won’t change my mind. We’ll make sure America’s supply chain starts in America,” Biden said in his State of the Union address to both chambers on Tuesday evening (local time). of the congress.
The Democrat stressed that he would not apologize for this. “This is fully in line with international trade rules.” At the same time, Biden called on Republicans in Congress to work together for the good of the country. Conflicts would not advance the country, he emphasized.
It was Biden’s second State of the Union address. His first speech in early March 2022 had been overshadowed by the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine a few days earlier. This time, too, the democrat promised Ukraine long-term support. However, the topic took up far less space than in the previous year, since Biden mainly focused on domestic issues in his speech and praised his economic policy.
The plans are causing unrest in Europe
He announced that building materials for federally funded infrastructure projects—such as copper, aluminum, fiber optic cable, lumber and drywall—must be “Made in America” in the United States. “Under my supervision, American roads, bridges and highways will be built with American products,” Biden said. He did not provide any details about his plans. However, his clear words are particularly interesting against the background of the new multi-billion dollar US program for investments in climate protection, which is causing great unrest in Europe.
The law envisages linking many subsidies and tax credits to companies using US products or producing them themselves in the US. In Europe, there are fears of disadvantages for domestic companies. Biden had defended the law against criticism in the past, but at the same time stretched out his hand to the Europeans. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) and his French colleague Bruno Le Maire campaigned in Washington at the beginning of the week for a Europe-friendly application of the law. In the past, Republican ex-president Donald Trump, with his slogan “America first”, had placed a strong emphasis on giving preference to products manufactured in the USA and supporting domestic industries. Biden uses similar rhetoric again and again.
Republicans often rely on the blockade
The 80-year-old US President is now speaking for the first time before a congress in which his Democrats no longer have a majority in both chambers. Republicans won a narrow majority in the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections. That makes it even harder for the Biden administration to pass legislation, even as it continues to control the Senate. Parts of both parties are downright hateful towards each other, hardliners among the Republicans are blocking many issues – including the momentous setting of the debt ceiling.
In the USA, Congress defines a debt ceiling at irregular intervals and thus determines how much money the state can borrow. If this limit is not raised soon, the world’s largest economy could default – with incalculable consequences for the global economy. Biden has now asked Republicans to agree to an increase. “Some of my Republican friends want to hold the economy hostage unless I agree with their economic plans,” Biden said. He stressed that he would not accept cuts in social programs during the negotiations.
Cross-party support required
When he addressed other domestic issues in his speech, the Democrats repeatedly erupted in applause, while Republicans often heckled. Biden again called for a ban on assault rifles, criticized the Republicans for their socio-political demands and called for cross-party support for police reforms in the face of deadly police violence against black people.
Biden warned Beijing after the launch of a Chinese surveillance balloon allegedly used for espionage: “If China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country, and we have done so.”
Biden’s speech comes at a time when a decision is being eagerly awaited on whether the Democrat will run for a second term. US media had previously described the important speech as a kind of application speech. The President had promised a decision on this for the beginning of this year. Biden has repeatedly stated his general intention to run again in 2024, but has not yet announced a final decision. The Democrats are currently burdened with an affair involving the discovery of secret documents from earlier years of government in his private rooms – a special investigator is investigating the case. For the Republicans, only Trump has so far officially declared his candidacy.
Trump attacks on Truth Social
The Republican response to Biden’s speech came from Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s former government spokeswoman. “President Biden’s weakness endangers our nation and the world,” said the 40-year-old, who is now governor of the state of Arkansas – and the youngest governor ever in the United States. Biden, in turn, is the oldest president in US history. His predecessor Trump also verbally attacked him again and again during the speech about the platform Truth Social, which he co-founded.
At the end of April 2021 – a good three months after taking office – Biden gave a speech to both chambers of Congress for the first time. The first address by a newly elected US President at a joint session of the House of Representatives and Senate in the US Capitol is not traditionally referred to as a State of the Union address.