![]() Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) lobbied Chief Justice John Roberts ahead of the speech to “continue to uphold precedent” - a rare move even for an outspoken progressive like Gillibrand, who said she “felt inspired to do it tonight.” Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich.) to “kick her out!”īiden’s speech also gave new openings to progressives who have watched their hopes for a historic party-line safety net bill evaporate this year. Her heckling was followed by chants of “shame” from the Democratic side, including an audible call from Rep. At another point, Boebert shouted at Biden while he was speaking of “flag-draped coffins” for military members, including his son Beau, in an apparent reference to a militant attack on the Kabul airport last year that killed 13 U.S. Really? What happened? They stood up after me?”īoebert and Greene cast a different tone both hollered at Biden to “build the wall” when he addressed immigration. Schumer responded gamely when asked about the moment: “Oh no. On a more whimsical note, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood up a little too early to clap for one of Biden’s applause lines and went viral. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) was back in her usual State of the Union aisle spot, within a hearty handshake’s reach of Biden as he entered the chamber. More in line with the Capitol’s norm, the speech prompted plenty of indelible visual moments, from the lighthearted to tense. This time “we had a lot of people upstairs, we were still trying to spread out … we’re getting there.” So I think about half of us didn’t have tickets. All attendees were required to test negative for the virus within 24 hours of the speech, and lawmakers were barred from bringing in-person guests.īut there were bright spots: Every member could go this year, which means that junior lawmakers could attend their first big Biden speech after attendance was limited last year. ![]() Some members skipped the speech altogether, mindful of high-risk family members and uncertain about being in the packed Capitol that had removed its mask mandate just two days prior. Still, she said, “you could see everybody’s faces. It’s harder to lean over and whisper to your colleagues,” said Sen. Sitting in “every other seat isn’t normal. Dozens of lawmakers were stuck in the upper galleries typically reserved for members’ guests, left out of the schmoozing. The scene on the House floor wasn’t entirely normal by State of the Union standards: Individual seats were assigned, with most members sitting one chair apart. ![]() The president acknowledged Americans’ frustrations with the pandemic but warned: “We have to stay on guard.” ![]() 1 enemy we have in America today.”īiden’s address was clearly intended to boost his party’s confidence in the run-up to the midterms, as an increasingly hostile Russia compounds the tasks of reviving the Democratic agenda and preventing an election shellacking by the GOP. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who has resisted the party-line climate and social spending bill supported by Biden, said plainly after the speech: “Inflation is the No. And while last winter’s fears of Covid-shuttered businesses may have vanished, they’ve been replaced by staggering price spikes hitting everything from food to fuel. The president’s party is grappling with an entirely new set of public anxieties than last year, challenges that are already taking their toll on Biden’s poll numbers and threatening to zap the party’s bare majorities in Congress.Īmericans are feeling a temporary sense of relief from the virus, but there’s no sense how long it will last. While Biden’s bleak, pandemic-stricken first year in office may be over, Democrats were hoping for a shift in ambitions after several more crises landed in his lap, including rising inflation and Russia’s war against Ukraine. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) of the short length, praising Biden’s rhetoric on Ukraine, but panning most of his domestic plans. It didn’t hurt that the commander in chief kept things to just over an hour and in another touch of Washington predictability, the cross-aisle agreement stopped there. ![]() Biden earned multiple standing ovations, starting off with a thundering threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a clear affirmation of support for Ukraine. The address wasn’t without its brief moments of bipartisan unity. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) shouting audibly at the president during two points in his speech. Individual conservatives also took their opportunities for attention-grabbing plays, with Reps. And when Biden panned former President Donald Trump’s tax cuts, Republicans booed heartily. ![]()
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