On March 1st, President Biden gave his first State of the Union address, revolving around a number of issues such as COVID-19, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and other current events.

Biden promised that regardless of political affiliation, Congress and the White House both have “an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny.” Lawmakers in the House chamber stood and applauded the Ukrainian ambassador, Oksana Markarova, and First Lady Jill Biden wore the national flower of Ukraine, a sunflower, on her blazer. He revealed a Western alliance determined to aid the Ukrainian military through arms, and impose sanctions on the Russian economy. Along with Canada and the European Union, Biden has also decided to ban Russian planes from American airspace, and the Department of Justice has announced a task force to investigate Russian oligarchs. Russia’s largest banks are cut off from the international financial system, to make Putin’s war fund worthless. Biden also announced $1 billion in direct assistance to Ukraine, however, making it clear that American forces will go overseas to defend NATO allies, not Ukraine.

The President also addressed the pandemic and the American Rescue Plan, legislation for economic relief and jobs for working people during the pandemic, “because we know that when the middle class grows, the poor have a ladder up, and the wealthy do very well.”

In regards to infrastructure, for which America is ranked 13th in the world, he acknowledged the effort that went into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law- legislation to modernize roads, airports, ports, and waterways, “all to withstand the devastating effects of climate change and promote environmental justice.” Biden also promised that “We’ll build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, begin to replace the poisonous lead pipes, so every child — every American — has clean water to drink at home and at school. We’re going to provide affordable high-speed internet for every American — rural, urban, suburban and tribal communities.” He announced that in 2022, over 65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair will be fixed.

Furthermore, Biden argued the importance of passing the Bipartisan Innovation Act, legislation currently in Congress that would invest in emerging technologies and American manufacturing. He advocated for cutting the cost of prescription drugs, addressing a 13-year old boy in the audience, Joshua Davis, who needs insulin for his Type 1 Diabetes. He advocated for cutting energy costs for families to combat climate change, cutting the cost of child care for working families, creating more affordable housing, and generating economic growth- stating that “nobody — earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in new taxes” for his plan.

Other areas that Biden addressed included his belief in funding the police (instead of defunding), and acknowledging the retirement of Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer, after many years of service on the court. He also made several attempts at bipartisanship in his address. He proposed issues such as the opioid crisis, and veteran support that he believed both sides of the aisle could collaborate on, stating that “It is important for us to show the nation that we can come together and do big things.”