In First SOTU, Joe Biden Seeks To Reassure Americans Worried About Rising Prices

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON — In his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Joe Biden sought to reassure Americans worried about rising prices, a top economic issue and growing political threat for his party just months away from the November midterm elections. “We’re going to be OK.” Surging inflation and high gas prices have overwhelmed low unemployment, rapid job growth and rising wages in the public’s perception of how the economy is doing. Although he’s signed some historic legislation into law — a huge COVID relief package that bolstered the economy and lifted millions of children out of poverty and a bipartisan infrastructure overhaul that will build thousands of new roads and bridges — Biden has been unable to unite his party around the Build Back Better bill, social spending and climate legislation that Democrats vowed would transform American life for the better Biden did not mention Build Back Better during his speech but outlined a series of proposals lifted straight from the bill, including prescription drug reform, child care subsidies, tax incentives for green energy, and universal pre-kindergarten. Tuesday’s rhetoric was a bit more modest than Biden’s remarks when he addressed a joint session of Congress last year with visions of “rebuilding the nation, revitalizing our democracy, and winning the future for America.” The newfound emphasis on reducing the deficit seemed designed to appeal especially to Sen. Joe Manchin, who balked at Build Back Better in December and sat with GOP lawmakers on Tuesday, the lone Democrat to sit on the opposite side of the center aisle from the rest of his party.