President Joe Biden will use his second State of the Union address on Tuesday to remind Americans how their lives have improved in his first two years in office as pessimism grips the public and Congress is divided.
Rather than presenting major new policy proposals, Mr. Biden was expected to devote much of his speech to highlighting his efforts over the past two years to create jobs, fight inflation and improve infrastructure.
Yet only a quarter of American adults say the country is moving in the right direction, according to a new survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Meanwhile, inflation, which skyrocketed last year, has begun to slow.
Opinions on the economy remain deeply negative, however, with 76% of respondents describing the national economy as bad.
A country divided
Republicans now control the House of Representatives, giving them the power to block any new legislation. The Republican Party is making no secret of its intention to undo many of Mr Biden’s achievements and focus on investigations targeting him, as classified documents from his time as vice president have been found in his home.
“Jobs are up, wages are up, inflation is down, and COVID is no longer controlling our lives,” Biden told the Democratic National Committee on Friday. However, he warned against the elected Trumpists, who according to him “intend to put all this in danger”.
As large-scale bipartisanship remains unlikely, Mr. Biden was set to once again call on Congress to support his actions to address the opioid epidemic, cancer, mental health and the health of veterans.
The president will also urge lawmakers to responsibly raise the debt ceiling and maintain government funding, while Republicans push for spending cuts to reduce the budget deficit.
International tensions
Two members of the Biden administration who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak about the upcoming speech said the president is also expected to address his decision to shoot down a Chinese balloon suspected of espionage on Saturday.
As the US relationship with China is strained, the US president is expected to speak about the importance of countering Chinese economic and military actions around the world.
His speech last year came just days after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. Now the war is about to enter its second year, and under Mr. Biden, the United States and its allies have sent tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to bolster Ukraine’s defenses.
Now the president must advocate – both at home and abroad – to keep this coalition going.
Associated Press reporters Aamer Madhani, Emily Swanson and Hannah Fingerhut contributed to this article.