THE ADDRESS TO CONGRESS THAT BIDEN SHOULD GIVE — BUT WON’T
WASHINGTON — One of my great privileges at the White House was the chance to serve as lead writer on two State of the Union addresses. So, here is my unsolicited advice for what President Joe Biden should — but almost certainly will not — say in his address to Congress on Wednesday:
“My fellow Americans, when I ran for president, I promised to give this nation a chance to heal, to be reborn and to unite. After my election, I said that the American people had given us a mandate to cooperate, and promised to put my whole soul into fulfilling it.
“Well, tonight I ask you to join me in making a different choice — a choice to join hands across the aisle to meet the unparalleled challenges of our time. In the past 12 months, we have been hit by the worst pandemic since 1918, the worst economic crisis since the 1930s and the worst racial unrest since the 1960s. These trials have tested our nation as never before. But when Americans are united, there is no challenge we cannot overcome. So tonight, I will outline my plans to unite the country so we can defeat the pandemic, revive our economy, better educate our children, heal our racial divisions and live up to our proud legacy as a nation of immigrants.
“The coronavirus has taken more than half a million American lives. But it has also shown the miracle of American ingenuity. We produced a vaccine with unprecedented speed — and I thank my predecessor for his leadership in launching Operation Warp Speed. My administration has accelerated the distribution of vaccines, and tonight I can report that more than half of all American adults have received at least one shot, and almost 4 in 10 are fully vaccinated. This is a bipartisan achievement — and it has put the end of the pandemic in sight.
“Just as we united to vanquish the virus, we must now unite to rebuild from its destruction. Together, we have delivered almost $4 trillion to help our fellow Americans survive the pandemic. Now we must work together to build back better. So, I ask my Republican friends to join me in an effort to rebuild America’s critical infrastructure and create millions of good-paying jobs. Republicans have put forward a $568 billion infrastructure package. I have asked for $2.25 trillion. Let’s meet in the middle and pass a bipartisan bill.
“We must unite to help our children recover from a lost school year. We cannot allow this to stand. Let’s reopen our nation’s public schools for summer learning so that our kids can make up lost ground.
“We must unite to deliver racial justice and reform policing. The murder of George Floyd exposed how far our nation still has to go on the path to equal justice. Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, understands this because he has experienced police discrimination firsthand. Last year, he introduced the Justice Act, which incorporated proposals from both parties. Tonight I extend my hand to him and call on Congress to put bipartisan police reform legislation on my desk.
“We must unite to secure our border while welcoming immigrants to our nation’s shores. In his farewell address, a great Republican president, Ronald Reagan, described America as a shining city on a hill — humming with commerce and ‘teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace.’ And, Reagan said, ‘if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here.’
“A secure border is what allows us to have a welcoming immigration policy. So, tonight I call on Congress to pass bipartisan legislation to forge both a border barrier and a path to citizenship for millions of “dreamers” who were brought to America illegally as children through no fault of their own.
“I am a proud Democrat, and there will be areas where our differences will be harder to bridge. But this must not prevent us from working together in areas where agreement is within reach. As a candidate, I pledged to work ‘across the aisle to reach consensus.’ Tonight I ask you to join me in fulfilling the mandate to cooperate that the American people gave us in November. Thank you. God protect our troops, and God bless America.”