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US PRESIDENT JOE Biden declared in his first address to a joint session of Congress that “America is rising anew” on the verge of overcoming the historic pandemic.
Looking to the future, he urged a $1.8 trillion dollar (€1.48 trillion) investment in children, families and education that would fundamentally transform roles the government plays in American life.
Biden marked his first 100 days in office as the nation emerges from a mix of crises, making his case before a pared-down gathering of mask-wearing legislators because of pandemic restrictions.
The speech took place in a setting unlike any other presidential address in the US Capitol, surrounded by fencing after insurrectionists protesting his election in January stormed to the doors of the House chamber where he gave his address.
The nationally televised ritual of a president standing before Congress for the first time was one of the most watched moments of Biden’s presidency, raising the stakes for his ability to sell his plans to voters of both parties, even if Republican politicians prove resistant.
“America is ready for takeoff. We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America,” he said.
“100 days ago, America’s house was on fire. We had to act.”
This year’s scene at the front of the House chamber had a historic look: for the first time, a female vice president, Kamala Harris, was seated behind the chief executive. And she was next to another woman, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The first ovation came as Biden greeted “madam vice president”.
He added: “No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it’s about time.”
The entire House setting was unlike any of Biden’s predecessors, with members of Congress spread out, a sole Supreme Court justice in attendance and many Republicans citing “scheduling conflicts” to stay away.
There was no need for a “designated survivor”, with so many Cabinet members not there, and the chamber was so sparsely populated that individual claps could be heard echoing off the walls.
Restoring jobs
Biden constantly repeated how his plans would put Americans back to work, restoring the millions of jobs lost to Covid-19.
He laid out a sweeping proposal for universal preschool, two years of free community college, $225 billion (€186 billion) for child care and monthly payments of at least $250 dollars (€206) to parents.
His ideas target frailties that were uncovered by the pandemic, and he argues that that economic growth will best come from taxing the rich to help the middle class and the poor.
“I can report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength,” he said.
The president’s speech also gave an update on the Covid-19 crisis, and he highlighted how hundreds of millions of vaccinations and relief checks delivered to help offset the devastation wrought by a virus that has killed more than 573,000 people in the country.
He also championed his $2.3 trillion dollar (€1.9 trillion) infrastructure plan, a staggering figure to be financed by higher taxes on corporations.
However, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina said in the Republicans’ designated response that Biden was claiming too much credit.
“This administration inherited a tide that had already turned,” Scott said. “The coronavirus is on the run.”
Biden spoke against a backdrop of the weakening but still lethal pandemic, staggering unemployment and an ongoing debate about police violence against black people.
He also used his address to touch on the broader national reckoning over race in America and called on Congress to act on prescription drug pricing, gun control and modernising the nation’s immigration system.
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Families with children were hit harder than any other group and still are!
Anyone on low to low middle incomes with kids were plunged into poverty by FF/Green and FG/Lab governments – this is shown by statistics and data, the same statistics show that the wealthy in Ireland got progressively more wealthy as we got poorer – the obvious agenda is to redistribute wealth to the top!
People need to get out on the streets – child poverty is at record levels and this awful government has done NOTHING to improve the situation – they’ve made it far worse!
@David Grey: what do you class as the top, you know where you state there is an obvious agenda to redistribute wealth to? What income do you think families stop having financial pressures and suffering?
@David Grey: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/07/opinion/leonhardt-income-inequality.html I thought this graph is an excellent display of how things have changed. It’s US focused but it’s going to be similar here.
@Bilbo Baggins: @Bilbo Baggins: do you are totally ignoring the article, which is about the middle class, and instead want to focus on the 0.001%. I ask you the same question, at which level of income do you think financial pressures and worries end?
@Paul Fahey: about the top 1-3% I’d say Paul. I share your view though that this angle will be used to punish the top 60% instead. (Not ignoring it at all).
@David Mc Nally: really? If you believe families with a salary income of 100k have ordinarily more than one source of income you are wrong and have believed too many of the rhetorical platitudes and falsehoods spewed out with ease and no evidence.
@David Grey: Very well said.
Us families won’t be found on those paradise papers! If mega rich people and companies paid their taxes it might just help!
@Phil Keenan: Labour shamefully and FG only cut from the poorest in their 5 regressive budgets as ERSI already proved. Remember Leo telling families in 2012 to “take a holidayas they were not cut, but Leo and Labour took 9-12 euro a week of rent allowance,electricity units to the elderly and fuel allowance cuts in 2012 whilst only taking 2 euro a week off the wealthiest for the household charge in 2012. Joan & FG slyly cut the pensions of many men and women who took time off to rear their children in 2012 too.
Oh yes….we did not complete three or four mortgage repayments fully, paid over half each month for a few months, built up arrears….both working bit incomes reduced…..jaysus PTSB hounded us…..all paid up now…..but so pushy….and not for the people….to see the credit union do mortgages would be great for us all.
@Richie Curry:
Ulster Bank in my case, knowingly trying to rip customers off. Bet the executives didn’t loose sleep, weight, feel inadequate/suicidal or grind their teeth away !
Middle class had it the easiest from 2011-16 as ERSI has proved.
Latest housing bubble is well under way as anyone trying to buy or even rent the most basic of dives.
The latest housing bubble well under way. Anyone trying to buy or rent even the basic of dives off a a greedy & uncaring of basic habitation standards, only knows too well of housing crisis & don’t need last Thursdays Prime Time to tell them. What’s Leo and FG doing to help tenants by tax evading landlords & vulture funds?
Wealth re-distribution is the State plan.
Also know as having an inclusive society where all the people (especially the the top brass) can have an equal income and quality of life.
What they don’t say is that they need to fleece-tax everyone in the country to achieve it.
They just scutter on with communist babble like comrad Higgins.
@Cram Wood: What are you trying to say?
Excellent stock photo of ‘middle class worry’
I find the poor middle income landlords affected the most….. When the greed for rent increases kicks in, you have to be prepared for the extra tax that follows. Boo hoo!!!
Keep voting FG/FF/Labour and expect different results? The definition of stupidity.
They DON’T care about you. Wake up.
Hopefully there’re ready for the next one
What is “middle class” anyway? How does one define it, especially against such other classes as professional and managerial???
Aw
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