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CNN Live Event/Special
Now: Biden Enters House Chamber For State Of The Union Address; Education Secretary Miguel Cardona Is The Designated Survivor; Momentarily: Biden Speech To Joint Session Of Congress. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired March 07, 2024 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
VOICE OF KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: In many cases, you're seeing Republicans have to scramble, to say no, no, actually that's not what we meant. We didn't mean to get in the way of you actually starting your family.
So, this is one way, particularly, you know, when I -- I used to sit up in that balcony, with Manu, on these big nights. And I always noticed when you wear a little color, you kind of stand out. It's the thing we get to do, as women, right that the men don't have as much of an advantage on. So especially, when we see these overhead shots, you're going to be able to see that kind of spread out.
VOICE OF JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: And not just IVF, but also contraception, right? And that's a big -- major issue, the Democrats are starting to talk about, how Republicans will be coming for contraception after this.
VOICE OF HUNT: Right. And that was -- that was a warning in the Dobbs decision, right, from the dissenters, from the liberal justices. They said, look, this is a slippery slope.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Republicans dispute this, of course, we should note. But there are--
VOICE OF HUNT: They do.
VOICE OF TAPPER: --legislators, here and there, who have that--
VOICE OF HUNT: I mean, when you believe that fertilization that -- that life begins at conception, there are some consequences there. And when you start to talk about the technologies, I mean, it's entirely, we're seeing unintended consequence.
VOICE OF ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Just--
VOICE OF HUNT: Let's just put it that way.
VOICE OF PHILLIP: Just to note, I mean, how important this issue is. Dozens of Democrats have brought guests, related to IVF, and--
(CROSSTALK) VOICE OF HUNT: Including the first lady.
VOICE OF PHILLIP: Including the first lady. So, that's another way that they show their priorities for this address. That's, from what we've gathered from the President's excerpts of his speech, it's going to be a big part of his remarks.
It's also the most, I mean, maybe second to democracy, if you're talking about base Democratic voters, probably the most important issue for them is reproductive rights, in this election.
(CROSSTALK)
VOICE OF TAPPER: Not as surprising, by the way, that none of the -- none of the Democrats, as far as I know, brought anyone related to -- there's the first lady and President Biden. They have made it to the Capitol.
Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, how are you feeling?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Great.
VOICE OF TAPPER: That's the second, how are you feeling, and great, of the evening.
VOICE OF DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well from good to great, right?
VOICE OF TAPPER: From good to great. Well, he got reinvigorated--
(CROSSTALK)
VOICE OF TAPPER: --reinvigorated in the car with his grandchildren.
But it's kind of surprising that nobody brought a guest, related at all, to the prosecution of Donald Trump. Because you could say -- I would not put it above any politician to bring, say, E. Jean Carroll, or anyone like that. Maybe they are in there.
But that's something else that's -- a cloud over all of this is the fact that Donald Trump, who President Biden will be facing in November, has all these legal problems, Kaitlan.
VOICE OF KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. And as MJ Lee reported earlier, that Joe -- Joe Biden -- President Biden is not expected to say Donald Trump's name. But he won't have to. I mean, it's going to loom over this entire situation. House Republicans know that as well.
And that's why, when you talk to the White House, they say the headline from tonight, though he will be talking about those other issues, democracy is going to be the takeaway.
And so, when you see the Supreme Court justices, and think about what a big role they are playing, in this election that we are about to see, in when President -- former President Trump is going to potentially face his trial, for his attempts to overturn the election, it's hard to ignore what a presence the Supreme Court is, in this room, and what dynamic and impact they are going to have on this election.
VOICE OF TAPPER: And if you -- if you -- you've seen a couple familiar faces flashed in the last minute. One of them was George Santos.
Another one, in between, right there, in between John Roberts, the Chief Justice and Sonia Sotomayor, behind them, that's Justice Kennedy, Anthony Kennedy, who resigned from the Supreme Court. I believe he was replaced by -- was it Brett Kavanaugh, who took his place? And--
VOICE OF CHALIAN: Correct, yes.
VOICE OF TAPPER: So that -- that is, it's interesting, I suppose.
(CROSSTALK)
VOICE OF TAPPER: As with George Santos, he still enjoys privileges. Not to compare, Justice Kennedy, and Congressman Santos.
VOICE OF JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And--
VOICE OF TAPPER: But they are both formers. There we see Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, both of whom, in the last couple weeks, endorsed Nikki Haley, talking to Lindsey Graham.
VOICE OF JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, who did not endorse Nikki Haley. He is still with Donald Trump.
Just to go back to something that John King was mentioning earlier, about the debate and things that are important. A number of centrist Democratic sources, and frankly, moderate Republican sources, who want Biden to win, over Trump, said to me, this afternoon, he better talk about crime. He better talk about immigration, and the border. They see these, as just along with reproductive rights, a critical message.
VOICE OF KING: And again, this is where you get this debate, among Democrats, because overall, violent crime statistics are down, nationally. They are down. So Democrats bristle. They say no, you're playing into the Fox News argument. No, you're playing into the Republican argument.
But in major cities, the Democratic governor of New York just mobilized the National Guard, to deal with subway crime, in New York City.
And so, this is again, a debate in the party, about do you -- if you talk about it, are you playing their game?
But you're absolutely right. If you talk to Democratic pollsters, and the people who run the numbers, amongst swing voters, suburban voters, the people, who decide close presidential elections, they are very disappointed, in the President's performance, on crime and immigration.
VOICE OF CHALIAN: Well, he's clearly going to try to flip the script on immigration, as he's been doing, for the last several weeks.
[21:05:00]
And to Abby's point, about reproductive rights, earlier, it does totally energize and mobilize the base. But the reason it's been so successful, for Democrats, is because it goes far beyond the base.
It actually -- we -- that issue, when it is on the ballot, abortion rights, in a post-Dobbs world performs better than the generic Democrat, because it's bringing in Independents, and some Republicans, to that issue as well. So, it's a double whammy. It's a base mobilizer. And it actually adds to the coalition with Independents.
VOICE OF TAPPER: And if -- and if you talk to Democrats, about the bad polling, for President Biden, the thing they will say is, you can look at polls, all you want, we're looking at elections.
And they -- they're talking about the fact that since the Dobbs decision, since Roe v. Wade was overturned, in the special elections, and a referenda, in states, whether red states like Kansas and Ohio and Montana, or the special election, in New York, Democrats have won, and the pro-choice or pro-abortion rights side has won.
There's Congressman Matt Gaetz. And they're hopeful that that will help Joe Biden.
VOICE OF HUNT: It will. And can we just talk for a second? We've seen a lot of the Supreme Court justices, who are down on the floor, tonight, and how, what a -- what a unique position they occupy, this time. I mean, yes, they always -- there's always a cadre of them, at these speeches. It has become increasingly political, over the years.
I mean, I was sitting in the gallery, when Samuel Alito mouthed at President Obama, that what he was saying, about a Supreme Court decision, about election funding was not true. And that was seen at the time, as something that was very remarkably -- a remarkably political statement, from one of these justices.
But they literally sit at the very heart of the election that Joe Biden -- President Biden is up there, tonight, fighting for, in a way that they have not been, certainly since 2000, in Bush versus Gore, and possibly ever, in terms of having to decide whether or not President Biden's opponent is going to be able to be charged in the, you know, for basically sending a mob, to this very building, on January 6th, 2021.
VOICE OF PHILLIP: And you know what though (ph)? It's important to point that out. But one thing I will say, about the view, from the Biden campaign, and from the White House, is that they are not looking to these criminal cases, against Trump, to play the role in this election. They do not think that that is going to be what this is going to turn on. And there are a lot of people, out there, talking about how -- it is
obviously important for democracy, for the country. But they understand that the prospects of these cases, being concluded before the election, not great. The prospect of them being definitive, and going in any particular way, and moving voters, in any particular way, is too uncertain.
What they do know, though, and I think to Jake's earlier point, they're not wrong, when they say that voters have been voting, in a way, that sometimes differs from what they say to pollsters, about how happy or unhappy they are, about Joe Biden, or even the direction of the country. The reason for that is abortion. But the reason for that is also because of choices that they have, at the ballot box.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Let me--
VOICE OF PHILLIP: And when Republicans put up candidates, who are on the far-right, and they don't choose their candidates properly? That has made a huge difference in these races. And they think that's how they see November, at the top of the ticket, as well.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Let me bring in Evan Osnos, right now, who is -- who has been President Biden's biographer, just did an interview with him for The New Yorker magazine.
Evan, do you think this is the most important speech, of President Biden's career?
VOICE OF EVAN OSNOS, BIDEN BIOGRAPHER, STAFF WRITER, THE NEW YORKER: You know, he's had a very long career, Jake, as you know. But I think it is a credible case to make.
Look, this is an unusual moment, because it is both the chance for him to try to talk about what he's done. And then, he is also making his biggest pitch, to the largest audience, he's going to have, before November.
I was talking to somebody, who is very close to him. And I said, how do you think he handles the pressure of a moment like this?
And they said, look, to be honest, he's been dealing with pressure like this, his entire adult life. The weirdest moment for him was when he wasn't under pressure, when he was in that period after his first -- after the Obama presidency.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Evan, let me just interrupt for one second. I'm sorry. I'll come right back to you.
But there we see, the second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, the husband of the Vice President, Kamala Harris, who you see there, on stage. Doug Emhoff, who has become one of the administration's leading voices, on the rise of anti-Semitism in the United States. Doug is Jewish.
There, he just waved at his wife. And she seems to be smiling at her -- at her goofy husband, in an affectionate way.
Evan, back to you.
VOICE OF OSNOS: Well, I was just saying that, I think, in some ways, a lot of us look at what a President is going through, at a moment like this, the pressures they're under. We've been talking, tonight, all about the many issues he has to cover.
[21:10:00]
And in some ways, you saw him get into that car, and he is projecting the spirit of a guy, who is relishing this moment. I don't think that is fake.
I will tell you, my impression, from being in the Oval Office with him, recently, was this guy doesn't have a whole lot of doubts, about what he's doing. We're having a big national conversation, about this. And there's a lot of people who wonder whether he should have done this. He's not wondering. You don't come away from a conversation with him saying is he staring at the ceiling tonight (ph)? He's -- that's not the moment he's in, Jake. And it can be hard to capture that, I think, from far away.
(APPLAUSE)
VOICE OF TAPPER: There is the first lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, taking her seat, next to the second gentleman, or near the second gentleman, surrounded by what are called Scott Nicks (ph), that is special guests of the President of the United States, there to illustrate various policy points, and ways that what the administration has been doing, has affected them.
There's the former House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
President Biden is running late, we should note. He is in a holding room, right now.
VOICE OF HUNT: Par for the course.
(GAVEL BANGS)
VOICE OF TAPPER: And he is -- there is the Speaker gaveling in the session.
Should we listen in? Let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Speaker, the President's Cabinet.
(APPLAUSE)
VOICE OF TAPPER: The President's Cabinet walking in, right now.
Obviously, there is the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who has been rather busy, these days, what with all sorts of crises in Ukraine, in the Middle East.
Followed by the Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen.
(APPLAUSE)
VOICE OF TAPPER: Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, whose health issues became something of a problem, for the administration, when he failed to disclose them, even though he had been hospitalized. Thankfully, his health is good.
Evan Osnos, it is quite a balancing act, for President Biden, as we -- David Chalian outlined all the things, all the things he needs, to achieve with this speech.
You see other members of the President's Cabinet there. The Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack; the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, and on and on.
Is it Deb Haaland, who is the designated?
VOICE OF COLLINS: No.
VOICE OF TAPPER: We do not know yet?
VOICE OF COLLINS: It is--
VOICE OF TAPPER: We don't know?
VOICE OF COLLINS: I just saw a picture of her.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Oh, so it's not her?
VOICE OF COLLINS: I just saw a picture of Deb Haaland. She just posted a picture with the many members of the Cabinet.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Oh, so it's not her.
VOICE OF COLLINS: The one we don't see is Gina Raimondo. I'm not saying it's her.
VOICE OF TAPPER: No. We just saw her on the floor.
VOICE OF CHALIAN: That was -- we just saw her there.
VOICE OF TAPPER: We just saw Gina Raimondo.
VOICE OF COLLINS: So, she's the only one--
VOICE OF TAPPER: We are trying -- sorry folks, at home. We are trying to figure out a nerdy D.C. parlor game, which is -- yes, there's the Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland. So, not her.
VOICE OF KING: There's Deb Haaland.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Who is the designated survivor kind of a dark thing, a dark tradition in this in this country, about who will maintain the continuity of government, should the worst possible thing, in the history of the known universe happen, to this building that we're looking at right now. There is always somebody, from the Cabinet, who does not attend. There's the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, who was impeached by the House of Representatives, for, in their view, the Republicans in the House, not carrying out his duties at the border. The border, obviously a huge issue.
There's Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.
VOICE OF COLLINS: Well I believe it's the Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Miguel Cardona is the Secretary of Education, we believe, is the designated survivor.
VOICE OF COLLINS: Waiting for--
VOICE OF TAPPER: But John King, the issue of the border?
You see Alejandro Mayorkas, right there, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who was impeached, although the Senate is not going to take up that issue, so he will not be removed from office. And even if they were to take it up, the votes would not be there.
How much -- like what to say, if you are President Biden, and this is such a huge issue, immigration and the problems at the border? And obviously, Republicans have been talking about the border problems, for quite some time.
VOICE OF KING: Republicans gave him the perfect framing, by walking away from the bipartisan deal, a deal that had many border security pieces in it, that the President personally does not favor, and that many in his party don't like even more than him, the progressives in the party don't like even more.
So he's going to say tonight, I was about to do something big, something you Republicans have been asking for, for two decades or more. And Donald Trump told you to walk away. And so, you're putting Donald Trump ahead of the urgent needs of the country.
It's a strong political argument, because it happens to be true. That could have been passed, and it could have been done. And Trump called Speaker Johnson, and other Republicans, and said, do not do this. Don't help Joe Biden. It might help him in the campaign. Do not do this. It's a powerful argument.
The flip side of the Republicans is going to be, you've been president for 1,142 days. So, you were president for about more than 1,000 days, before you started these negotiations. Where were you for the first three years? And that's a perfectly valid argument too.
Because in terms of the illegal crossings, and the apprehensions at the border, and other issues, they are way, way up. So, this is a -- it's a giant policy divide, about what the -- Biden was unwilling to do, in his first three years.
But Trump has given him potentially, if they can craft it and play it right, a gift, in essentially telling Republicans, don't do what you have tried to do, for years, because it might hurt my campaign.
[21:15:00]
VOICE OF TAPPER: And if you're wondering who gets those great seats in the -- by the aisle, so that they can shake hands with, for instance, the United Nations Ambassador, the -- those seats are coveted, quite a bit. People come early.
Manu Raju is in Congress, right now.
And Manu, like how did Joe Manchin get that sweet spot?
VOICE OF MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He brought -- he had someone saving it for him, Jake. In fact, a lot of these members, this is -- that's actually kind of unusual. In the past, people had been here for hours and hours and hours, holding the seats. This time, they had people saving them.
But I want you to key in on when Joe Biden enters the room, he'll be greeted by some of his fiercest critics, in the House GOP, some Republican hardliners, who are sitting right as he enters. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, sitting near the entrance, and next to Congressman Matt Gaetz, and there's Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene also sitting very close to the aisle.
Both Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene told me, earlier today, that they will not be afraid, to yell back at Joe Biden, if they feel like that, in their view, he is saying something untruthful, or something that they don't like.
And Marjorie Taylor Greene, of course, was someone, who said that Joe Biden was a liar, during last year's State of the Union address, something that Speaker Mike Johnson absolutely does not want to see.
So, how will they greet the President, when he enters? That's a question.
When Jill Biden was just introduced, the first lady, Marjorie Taylor Greene was seated, while the rest of the chamber was have -- giving a standing ovation, Jake.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Yes, we should point out, just for fairness sake, that, Joe Biden was not lying about what he brought up, when Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled, liar, he had been saying that there were Republicans proposing sun-setting services, like Medicare and Social Security, and they in fact were.
But that was a deft moment, for President Biden, concerns about his acumen, and alacrity, notwithstanding he was able to take that moment, and ad-lib, and say, oh, so members of the Republican Party, you agree with me?
Let's listen in for this big, big, big moment for President Biden.
WILLIAM MCFARLAND, SERGEANT AT ARMS OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States. (CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
(NOW: BIDEN ENTERS HOUSE CHAMBER FOR STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS)
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): (inaudible).
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep looking this way. Keep looking this way.
BIDEN: Don't let -- don't focus on them (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible) all right.
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We love you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll cover here. Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are making us (ph) happy Joe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have been seeing, Mr. President. We have been seeing, Mr. President.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is about you. This is about the changes you're (ph) making.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is about the changes you're (ph) making.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is about the changes you're (ph) making.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, you see Barbara. You see Barbara Lee, right here.
BIDEN: Barbara Lee.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see Barbara Lee.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President.
BIDEN: Let me closer to the (inaudible).
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Save democracy.
[21:20:00]
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know.
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Keep moving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, keep going. Keep going.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Over here, Mr. President.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Over here, Mr. President.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Over here.
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you doing? Today is the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
BIDEN: I know and (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, good.
BIDEN: It's today.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good, good, good.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How are you, Mr. President?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, sir.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible) Joe, oh my. You're doing a good job.
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): (inaudible).
BIDEN: I'll tell you what (inaudible) come back.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: All right (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for everything. You are the best.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We got to get the good stuff over here.
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is. It is.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. You're doing great tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe, you are the best.
BIDEN: (inaudible).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you look out and see all this white, you know we're wearing it for you.
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh (inaudible). Well.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: How are you doing tonight?
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm the last member (ph).
BIDEN: (inaudible).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. You're going to do great.
BIDEN: Thank you.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're going to be yelling you out.
BIDEN: They're going to be yelling (ph) too, so.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you. Come on let's take the selfie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just hold still (ph).
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (inaudible).
(DEMOCRATS CHANTING "FOUR MORE YEARS")
BIDEN: Chief, how are you?
JOHN ROBERTS, CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE UNITED STATES: Really good to see you.
BIDEN: God bless you (ph).
McFarland, I'm going this way?
MCFARLAND: Yes, sir.
(DEMOCRATS CHANTING "FOUR MORE YEARS")
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: (inaudible).
VOICE OF TAPPER: So, President Biden making his way down the aisle, greeting all sorts of members of Congress. You saw some people, trying to say hi, affectionately. Some people challenging him, for various reasons. He is greetings -- greeting his, the Joint Chiefs of Staff now.
This is one of the great moments, in American politics, watching the President, whoever he is, come down and see all the branches of government. You see people in both major political parties. There is a common purpose, no matter what the nastiness that has been said. There is some degree, even during the harsh political times, of fellowship, and camaraderie.
Jamie Gangel.
VOICE OF GANGEL: So, Kasie was just talking earlier, and we've all been watching all of these people, on the floor, greeting him. And Kasie made the comment that even in these polarized times, you see that kind of enthusiasm.
I was just told that many House Republicans on the escort committee, those are the people who come in with the President, declined to have their photo taken in the traditional photo line, so.
[21:25:00]
VOICE OF TAPPER: Yes, no, it's obviously very harsh times. And look, you saw him walk in. And one of the more loud members, of the Republican Party, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Congresswoman from Georgia, put on a MAGA hat.
VOICE OF HUNT: Which is not allowed.
VOICE OF TAPPER: Which is not allowed.
VOICE OF HUNT: I have to say.
VOICE OF TAPPER: You're not allowed to do that. And I mean, according to the rules of the House and the Senate.
VOICE OF HUNT: The House.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
VOICE OF TAPPER: And she was wearing a pin, referring to Biden's border crisis, quote-unquote, and challenging him to say the name of Laken Riley, the University of Georgia student killed, recently, in a tragic accident, a tragic incident rather, a murder by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
VOICE OF TAPPER: Here he is, presenting copies, of his State of the Union address, to the Vice President and, of course, to the Speaker of the House. Let's listen in.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Good evening.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Thank you.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Where is Jill?
(GAVEL BANGS)
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Good evening.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE) BIDEN: Good evening.
If I were smart, I'd go home now.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Mr. Speaker, Madam 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 in a moment, unprecedented in the 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 the history of the union. And yes, my purpose tonight 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 they are today. What makes our moment rare is that 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.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: But Ukraine--
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Ukraine can stop Putin.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Ukraine can stop Putin, if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons--
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: --that it needs to defend itself.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: That is all--
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: --that is all Ukraine is asking. They're not asking for American soldiers. In fact, there are no American soldiers at war in Ukraine, and I'm determined to keep it that way.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: But now, assistance to Ukraine is being blocked by those, who want to walk away from our world leadership. Wasn't long ago when a Republican president, named Ronald Reagan, thundered, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Now--
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Now, my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, quote, do whatever the hell you want.
(BOOING)
BIDEN: 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.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
[21:30:00]
BIDEN: America is a founding member of NATO, the military alliance of democratic nations, created after World War II, prevent -- to prevent war and keep the peace.
And today, we've made NATO stronger than ever. We welcomed Finland to the alliance last year.
(CHEERS & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And just this morning, Sweden officially joined, and their minister is here tonight.
(APPLAUSE)
Stand up.
(APPLAUSE)
Welcome. Welcome, welcome, welcome.
(APPLAUSE)
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.
(CHEERS)
Send me a bipartisan national security bill. History is literally watching. History is watching.
If the United States walks away, it will put Ukraine at risk. Europe is at risk. The free world will be at risk, emboldening others to do what they wish to do us harm.
My message to President Putin, who I've known for a long time, is simple: We will not walk away.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
We will not bow down!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
I will not bow down!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
In a literal sense, history is watching. History is watching.
Just like history watched three years ago on January 6th, when insurrectionists stormed this very Capitol and placed a dagger to the throat of 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'd come to stop the peaceful transfer of power to overturn the will of the people.
January 6th lies about the 2020 election and the plot to steal the election posed a great -- gravest threat to U.S. democracy since the Civil War.
But they failed!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
America stood.
America stood strong, and democracy prevailed!
We 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.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
As I've done ever since being elected to office, I ask all of you without regard to party, to join together and defend democracy. Remember your oath of office, of defending against all threats, foreign and domestic.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
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.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
Again, it's not -- it's not hyperbole to suggest history is watching you. They're watching you. Your children or grandchildren will read about this day and what we do.
History is watching another assault on freedom.
Joining us tonight (ph) is Latorya Beasley, a social worker from Birmingham, Alabama. Fourteen months ago, 14 months ago, she and her husband welcomed a baby girl, thanks to the miracle of IVF. She scheduled treatments to have that second child.
But the Alabama Supreme Court shut down IVF treatments across the state, unleashed by a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. She was told her dream would have to wait.
What her family had gone through should never have happened. Unless Congress acts, it could happen again.
So tonight, let's stand up for families like hers. To my friends across the aisle, don't keep this waiting any longer.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
Guarantee the right to IVF. Guarantee it nationwide.
[21:35:13]
Like most Americans, I believe Roe v. Wade got it right. I thank Vice President Harris for being an incredible leader defending reproductive freedom and so much more.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you.
My predecessor came to office determined to see Roe v. Wade overturned. He's the reason it was overturned. And he brags about it. Look at the chaos that has resulted. Joining us tonight is Kate Cox, the wife and mother from Dallas. She's become pregnant again and had a fetus with a fatal condition. Her doctor told Kate that her own life and her ability to have future -- 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 had 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, in it's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following. And with all due respect, justices, women are not without electoral -- electoral power. Excuse me, electoral or political power. You're about to realize just how much you brought it up.
(APPLAUSE)
Clearly.
(APPLAUSE)
Clearly, those bragging about overturning 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 2023, and we'll winning again in 2024.
(APPLAUSE)
If you -- if you, the American people send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you, I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again.
(APPLAUSE)
Folks, America cannot go back. I'm here to tonight to show what I believe is the way forward. Because I know how far we've 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 that took more than 1 million American lives of loved ones? Millions left behind? A mental health crisis of 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.
(APPLAUSE)
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 and the bottom up, not the top down. Investing in all America and all Americans to make sure everyone has a fair shot. And 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.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Folks, I inherited an economy that was on the brink, now our economy is literally the envy of the world.
[21:40:02]
Fifteen million new jobs in just three years, a record, a record.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Unemployment at 50-year lows.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: 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 blacks and Hispanics and Asian-Americans, 800,000 new manufacturing jobs in America, and counting.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Where is it written we can't be the manufacturing capital of the world?
We are, and we will.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: More people have health insurance today...
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: More people have health insurance today than ever before. The racial wealth gap is as small as it's been in 20 years. Wages keep going up. Inflation keeps coming down. Inflation has dropped from 9 percent to 3 percent, the lowest in the world, and tending lower.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: The landing is and will be soft.
And now, instead of importing -- importing foreign products and exporting American jobs, we're exporting American products and creating American jobs...
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: ... right here in America, where they belong.
(APPLAUSE) BIDEN: 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. Past administrations, including my predecessor, including some Democrats as well in the past, failed to buy American. Not any more.
On my watch, federal projects that you fund, like helping build American roads, bridges and highways, will be made with American products and built by American workers...
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: ... creating good-paying American jobs.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And thanks to our CHIPS and Science Act, the United States is investing more in 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.
(APPLAUSE)
(UNKNOWN): We did!
BIDEN: Well, instead of having to import them -- instead, private companies are now investing billions of dollars to build new chip factories here in America, creating tens of thousands of jobs...
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: ... many of those jobs paying $100,000 a year and don't require a college degree.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: In fact, my policies have attracted $650 billion in private- sector investment, in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, creating tens of thousands of jobs here in America.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And thanks -- and thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 46,000 new projects have been announced all across your communities.
And by the way, I notice some of you who strongly voted against it are there cheering on that money coming in.
(APPLAUSE)
(LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: I like it.
(APPLAUSE) BIDEN: I'm with you.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: I'm with you.
And if any of you don't want that money in your district, just let me know.
(LAUGHTER)
Modernizing our roads and bridges, ports and airports, public transit systems, removing poisonous lead pipes so every child can drink clean water without risking brain damage.
(APPLAUSE)
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 farms...
(APPLAUSE)
Because I invested in family farms led by my secretary of agriculture, who 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 won't have to leave, leave home to make a living. It's transformative.
The great comeback story is Belvidere, 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 office and we raised the Belvidere repeatedly with auto companies, knowing unions would make all the difference.
[21:45:03]
The UAW orked like hell to keep the plant open and get these jobs back, and together we succeeded. Instead of auto factories shutting down, auto factories reopened and the new state-of-the-art battery factories being built to power those cars there at the same --
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Folks -- for the folks at Belvidere, 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 Belvidere right here in America.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Here tonight is UAW president Shawn Fain, a great fan and a great labor leader.
Sean, where are you? Stand up.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And Dawn. And Dawn Simms, a third-generation worker, UAW worker at Belvidere.
Shawn, I was proud to be the first president to stand in the picket line. And today, Dawn has a good job in her hometown, providing stability for her family and pride and dignity as well. Showing 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.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: I say to the American people, when America gets knocked down, we get back up. We keep going. That's America.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: 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 proudly say the state of our union is strong and getting stronger.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(CROWD CHANTS "FOUR MORE YEARS)
BIDEN: Tonight -- 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 wealthy and the biggest corporations no longer get all 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 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 on my dad's kitchen table. That's why I determined to turn things around so middle class does well. When they do well, the poor have a way up and 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 am ending it.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: With a law that I proposed and signed, not one of your Republican buddies voted for it, we finally beat big pharma. Instead of paying $400 a month or thereabouts for insulin with diabetes, it only cost 10 bucks to make, they only get paid $35 a month now and still make healthy profit. (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And I want -- what to do next? I want to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for every American who needs it. Everyone.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: For years, people have talked about it, but finally we got it done and gave Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs. Just like the V.A. is able to do for veterans. That's not just saving seniors money, it's saving taxpayers' money. We cut the federal deficit by $160 billion.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Because Medicare will no longer have to pay those exorbitant prices to big pharma.
[21:50:04]
This year, Medicare is negotiating lower prices for some of the costliest drugs in the market to treat everything from heart 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.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: They're making a lot of money, guys.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And they will still be extremely profitable.
It will not only save lives; it will save taxpayers another $200 billion.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Starting next year, the same law caps total prescription drug costs for seniors on Medicare at $200 -- $2,000 a year, even for expensive cancer drugs that cost $10,000, $12,000, $15,000.
And I want to cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year for everyone.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Folks, I'm going to get in trouble for saying it, but any of you want to get in Air Force One, we can fly to Toronto, Berlin, Moscow -- I mean -- excuse me -- and -- well, even Moscow, probably.
(LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: And bring your prescription with you, and I promise you I will get it for you for 40 percent the cost you're paying now, same company, same drug, same place.
Folks, the Affordable Care Act, the old Obamacare, it's still a very big deal.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Over 100 million of you can no longer be denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition. Well, my predecessor and many in this chamber want to take those -- that prescription drug away by repealing Affordable Care Act.
(BOOING)
BIDEN: I'm not going to let that happen.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: We stopped you 50 times before, and we will stop you again.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: In fact, I'm not only protecting it. I'm expanding it.
The -- the 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.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: To state the obvious, women are more than half our population, but research on 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.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: We will pass my plan for $12 billion to transform women's health research and benefit millions of lives all across America.
I know the cost of housing is so important to you. If 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.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: That's for two years.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And my administration is also eliminating title insurance on federally backed mortgages.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: When you refinance your home, you can save $1,000 or more as a consequence.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: For millions of renters, we're cracking down on big landlords who use antitrust laws -- using antitrust -- who break antitrust laws by price-fixing and driving up rents.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: We have 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...
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Now pass and build and renovate two million affordable homes and bring those rents down.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: To remain the strongest economy in the world, we need to have the best education system in the world.
[21:55:04]
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And I, like I suspect all of you, want to give a child, every child, a good start by providing access to preschool for 3 and 4 years old.
(APPLAUSE)
You know, I think I pointed out last year...
(APPLAUSE)
I think I pointed out last year that children coming from broken homes, where there's not books, they're not read to, they're not spoken to very often, start school, kingergarten or first grade hearing - having heard a million fewer words spoken. Well, studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school, go on to earn a two- and four-year degree no matter what their background is.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE) BIDEN: I met a year and a half ago with the leaders of the business roundtable, 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 8 -- I think was 182 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, DuPont 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? They all looked at me and said, I think you're right.
I want to expand high quality tutoring and summer learning to see that every child learns to read by third grade.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: I'm also connecting local businesses in high schools so students get hands-on experience and a path to good paying job whether or not they go to college. And I want to make sure the college is more affordable.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Let's continue increasing the Pell Grants to working in middle- class families and increase record investments. In HBCU, the minority serving institution including Hispanic institution.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And I was told I couldn't universally just change the way in which you did -- that was student loans. I fixed two student loan programs that already existed to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly four million Americans including nurses, firefighters, and others in public service. Like Keenan Jones, a public educator in Minnesota who's here with us tonight. Keenan, where are you?
Keenan, 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.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And folks, look, such relief is good for the economy because folks are now able to buy a home, start a business, start a family while we're at it. I want the public-school teachers a raise.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: And by the way, the first couple years, we cut the deficit. Now, let me speak to the question of fundamental fairness for all Americans. I've been delivering real results in fiscally responsible ways. We've already cut the federal deficit. We've already cut the federal deficit over a trillion dollars. I signed the bipartisan deal to cut another $1 trillion in the next
decade. It's my goal to cut the federal deficit another $3 trillion by making big corporations, the very wealthy, finally beginning to pay their fair share.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: Look, I'm a capitalist, if you want to make or can make a million or millions of bucks, that's great. Just pay your fair share in taxes.
(CHEERING & APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: A fair tax code is how we invest things to make this country great, health care, education, defense, and so much more.
