周二晚上,美国总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)发表的首份国情咨文看起来与几周前截然不同——在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰之前,通胀持续上升,冠状病毒的指导方针发生了巨大变化。
从乌克兰战争到国内物价上涨,以下是拜登演讲的要点首次国情咨文敬国会。
呼唤普京的名字
总统以支持乌克兰人民和他们的总统沃洛德梅尔·泽伦斯基的强烈言辞开始了他的演讲。
“从泽伦斯基总统到每一个乌克兰人,”他说,“他们的无畏、勇气和决心激励着世界。
总统赞扬了他与欧洲和北约盟友保持一致,对俄罗斯及其总统弗拉基米尔·普京实施严厉制裁的战略,认为他们巩固了北约联盟,俄罗斯总统现在“比以往任何时候都更加孤立于世界”
“普京最近对乌克兰的攻击是有预谋的,完全是无端的,”拜登说。他拒绝了多次外交努力。他认为西方和北约不会回应。他认为他可以在家里,在这个会议厅里,在这个国家分裂我们。他认为他也可以在欧洲分裂我们。但普京错了。我们准备好了。”
总统还宣布美国将禁止俄罗斯航空公司进入美国领空在欧洲和加拿大周日采取类似措施后。
索尔·勒布,游泳池/环保局,通过Shutterstock
乔·拜登总统向国会联席会议发表国情咨文.
拜登说:“当独裁者没有为他们的侵略付出代价时,他们会造成更多的混乱。”。
第一夫人吉尔·拜登在她的包厢里招待了乌克兰驻美国大使奥克萨娜·马尔卡罗娃。她受到了民主党人和共和党人的起立鼓掌,其中许多人穿着乌克兰国旗的蓝色和黄色。
总统用了大约五分之一的篇幅谈论乌克兰,他的大部分内容得到了罕见的两党掌声,这在一个通常专注于党派国内问题的演讲中占了很大一部分。
高度重视抑制通货膨胀
由于他处理经济的支持率很低——通货膨胀是美国人最关心的问题——拜登宣布:“我明白了。”
“太多的家庭都在努力维持他们的账单,”他说。"通货膨胀剥夺了他们原本以为能够感受到的收益。"
他说他的“首要任务是控制价格。”
但是他的许多提议将依赖于国会,而国会一直不愿意通过他的大部分社会支出提议。
拜登强调需要提振国内制造业,他还呼吁采取一些具体措施,这些措施将成为他停滞不前的“重建得更好”计划的一部分:削减处方药成本,应对气候变化以降低能源成本,降低儿童保育成本,以及建立免费的全民学前教育等举措。
他吹捧国家的经济复苏,但承认工厂关闭,供应链中断,价格上涨。
拜登说,他的“抗击通胀计划”是,“降低你的成本,而不是你的工资。”
疫情冠状病毒的新阶段
拜登承认,美国人对疫情冠状病毒感到“疲惫、沮丧和疲惫”,但也暗示美国正在进入一个新阶段。
他说:“我们在抗击新冠肺炎的斗争中已经到达了一个新的时刻,那里的严重病例下降到了自去年7月以来从未见过的水平。”。
他宣布,他的政府正在启动一项“检测治疗”计划,在药店检测COVID呈阳性的美国人可以免费获得抗病毒药物来治疗病毒。
总统还表示,从下周开始,美国人可以从COVIDTests.gov订购更多的免费快速检测。
他警告说,美国必须“为新变种做好准备”,并指出,如果有必要,科学家可以“在100天内部署新疫苗”。
拜登说:“由于我们在过去一年取得的进展,新冠肺炎不再需要控制我们的生活。”。
“去年,新冠肺炎把我们分开了。今年我们终于又在一起了。”
转换室
在拜登讲话的众议院会议厅,几乎没有面具出现。
根据周日宣布的新协议,参加者不必戴面罩。拜登没有像去年那样穿牛仔裤;2021年,出席人数也受到更多限制。
总统与国会议员近距离接触,这让人想起了疫情发表国情咨文前的情景。
所有与会者都必须出示PCR冠状病毒测试阴性才能获准进入,一些共和党人拒绝测试,抵制了这次演讲。
但是测试确实在立法者中发现了至少四个阳性病例。
“国家统一议程”
拜登将寻求两党合作作为其总统任期的一个标志,并在演讲中提出了他所谓的“国家团结议程”。
除了列出各种提案,这些提案本来是众议院通过的更大的“重建得更好”法案的一部分,但由于共和党人和西弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员乔·曼钦(Joe Manchin)的反对,该法案在参议院搁置,他呼吁立法投资癌症研究,支持退伍军人,打击家庭暴力等。
“我们可以做这些事情,”拜登说。“这是我们力所能及的。”
5 key takeaways from Biden's 1st State of the Union
President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address looked very different Tuesday night than it would have a few weeks ago -- before Russia invaded Ukraine, inflation kept rising and coronavirus guidance dramatically shifted.
From the war in Ukraine to rising prices at home, here's a look at the key takeaways from Biden'sfirst State of the Union addressto Congress.
Calling out Putin by name
The president kicked off his speech with strong words of support for the Ukrainian people and their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"From President Zelenskyy to every Ukrainian," he said, "their fearlessness, their courage, their determination, literally inspires the world.
The president praised his strategy of standing in lockstep with Europe and NATO allies in imposing harsh sanctions on Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, arguing they solidified the NATO alliance and that the Russian president was now "more isolated from the world than he has ever been."
"Putin's latest attack on Ukraine was premeditated and totally unprovoked," Biden said. "He rejected repeated -- repeated efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. He thought he could divide us at home, in this chamber, in this nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready."
The president also announced the U.S. wouldban Russian airlines from American airspace, after Europe and Canada took similar steps Sunday.
"When dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos," Biden said.
First lady Jill Biden hosted Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, as a guest in her box. She received a standing ovation from Democrats and Republicans, many of whom wore the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag.
The president devoted about one-fifth of his speech to Ukraine -- and received rare bipartisan applause for much of what he said -- a significant chunk in an address typically focused on partisan domestic issues.
Heavy focus on countering inflation
With low approval ratings for his handling of the economy – and inflation top of mind for Americans – Biden proclaimed: "I get it."
"Too many families are struggling to keep up with their bills," he said. "Inflation is robbing them of gains they thought otherwise they would be able to feel."
He said his "top priority is getting prices under control."
But many of his proposals will rely on a Congress that has been reluctant to pass much of his social spending proposals.
Emphasizing the need to boost domestic manufacturing, Biden also called for some specific items that would have been part of his stalled "Build Back Better" plan: cutting the cost of prescription drugs, combating climate change in order to lower energy costs, lowering the cost of child care, and instituting free, universal pre-K, among other initiatives.
He touted the nation's economic recovery but acknowledged that factories had closed, supply chains had been disrupted and prices had gone up.
Biden said his "plan to fight inflation" was, "Lower your costs, not your wages."
A new phase in the coronavirus pandemic
Biden acknowledged Americans were "tired, frustrated and exhausted" from the coronavirus pandemic -- but also signaled the U.S. was entering a new phase.
"We've reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19, where severe cases are down to a level not seen since July of last year," he said.
He announced his administration was launching a "test-to-treat" program where Americans who test positive for COVID at drugstores could then receive free antiviral pills to treat the virus.
The president also said Americans would be able to order even more free rapid tests from COVIDTests.gov starting next week.
He warned the U.S. must "prepare for new variants" -- and noted that scientists could "deploy new vaccines within 100 days" if necessary.
"Thanks to the progress we have made this past year, COVID-19 no longer need control our lives," Biden said.
"Last year, COVID-19 kept us apart. This year we're finally together again."
Transformed chamber
Few masks made appearances in the House of Representatives chamber where Biden spoke.
Under new protocols announced Sunday, attendees did not have to wear face coverings. Biden did not don one like he did last year; attendance was also much more restricted in 2021.
The president hobnobbed with members of Congress at close range in a scene reminiscent of pre-pandemic State of the Union events.
All attendees had to show a negative PCR coronavirus test to gain admittance, and several Republicans boycotted the speech by refusing to test.
But the testing did turn up at least four positive cases among lawmakers.
'A unity agenda for the nation'
Biden has made a quest for bipartisanship a hallmark of his presidency, and during his speech he proposed what he called "a unity agenda for the nation."
In addition to listing a variety of proposals that would have been part of a larger "Build Back Better" bill that passed the House but stalled in the Senate because of opposition from Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va, he called for legislation to to invest in cancer research, support veterans, combat domestic violence and more.
"We can do these things," Biden said. "It's within our power."