The fallout from the midterm elections in the United States is beginning to fade. The new House of Representatives and its new president, Republican Kevin McCarthy, are preparing for the next session by forming the various committees. Already, we can see that McCarthy’s many concessions to win the presidency of the House leave more leeway for the Trumpist wing of the Republican Party.
Despite a strong showing in the Nov. 8 election, President Joe Biden and his Democratic Party have now been on the defensive since the discovery of confidential documents at the Biden family’s personal home as well as the office he used when he completed his term as vice president during the Obama administration.
Since then, confidential documents at the home of former Vice President Mike Pence have also been recovered by the FBI. It should be noted that Biden and Pence are cooperating with the responsible authorities, unlike Donald Trump, when documents were discovered in his Mar-a-Lago residence. Regardless, the Justice Department has appointed investigators into the findings at the current and former presidents.
No doubt Biden will have to deal with a divided Congress where the Democrats control the Senate and the Republicans the House of Representatives. In the current polarized climate, that doesn’t bode well for advancing the president’s agenda.
The great issues of the last campaign will persist in the months to come. The prospect of recession, the war in Ukraine, the persistent inflation, the major political and social clashes over abortion since the reversal of the judgment Roe v. wadethe all-too-frequent killings, the debt ceiling debate and the state of democracy continue to dominate the news.
In short, the major economic, strategic and social issues facing the United States remain the same. However, it seems that only a cross-partisan political will will enable them to be raised in the long term.
The State of the Union
On February 7, President Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address to Congress. This is a unique opportunity for the President to present the challenges facing Americans, the key issues and his vision for moving the country forward.
Biden will rightly take stock of his two years in office. He will talk about his achievements in economic matters, boasting the lowest unemployment rate for 50 years. He will discuss his program to fight inflation, his bipartisan agreement to modernize the country’s infrastructure, his management of the pandemic and his policies to fight against climate change. He will also discuss his bipartisan initiative for the manufacturing sector, in particular to combat the shortage of semiconductors and chips. Finally, it should address all of its legislative successes.
It goes without saying that Biden will present a vision in contrast to that of his predecessor.
He will praise his leadership on the world level including the coalition in favor of Ukraine against Russia and will present the United States under his leadership in the image of an economy of the future turned towards sustainable development for the benefit of the future generations. In short, it will take stock of a stronger and more confident America.
The same evening, the Republicans will present a negative view of the Biden administration. They will denounce the highest inflation for 40 years, out-of-control spending, debt for future generations, the rise in the crime rate, the failure related to the exit from Afghanistan, the problems related to the immigration and the border with Mexico, as well as the lack of transparency of the Biden administration.
In short, two portraits of America will be presented to Americans. These two portraits will inevitably lift the veil on a divided country.
Towards the presidential election of 2024
Already, Trump is campaigning. But since the poor performance of the candidates he had chosen for the mid-term elections, we feel a lack of enthusiasm. Evangelical groups are hinting that they might support another candidate. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be one to watch if he decides to run.
Joe Biden will make his decision on his presidential bid in the coming weeks. Before the holiday season, it was expected that he would be a candidate again. However, the recent surgery of the first lady, Jill Biden, the announcement of the departure of her faithful chief of staff and friend, Ron Klain, and the investigation concerning the confidential documents could possibly change the situation. Some polls already show that the majority of Americans do not want a rerun of the 2020 election in 2024, with a new duel between Trump and Biden.
Despite the divisions and the strong polarization, will the political class choose to focus on the big challenges that are in the higher interest of the nation or will they allow themselves to be dominated by purely partisan interests? This will be followed in the coming months.