U.S. President Joe Biden will use his state of the union address Tuesday night to call on Republicans to work with him to "finish the job" of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he seeks to overcome pessimism in the country and navigate political divisions in Washington.
The annual speech comes as the U.S. struggles to make sense of confounding cross-currents at home and abroad — including economic uncertainty, a wearying war in Ukraine and growing tensions with China — and sizes up Biden's fitness for a likely re-election bid. The president is offering a reassuring assessment of the nation's condition rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals.
"The story of America is a story of progress and resilience," Biden will say, according to excerpts released by the White House.
He's highlighting record job creation under his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, and he's declaring that two years after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the country's democracy is "unbowed and unbroken."
With Republicans now in control of the House, Biden is pointing areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states' vital infrastructure and high tech manufacturing.
More to come.
