President Biden’s State of the Union address should focus on these five audiences
As President Biden prepares for this year’s State of the Union address, set for Feb. 7, he surely understands his position is steadily improving. Last year alone, the economy added 4.5 million jobs. And month-over-month inflation rates continue to slow, falling to a 6.5 percent increase in December compared with the year prior.
No doubt, Biden will be able to say, “The state of the union is strong.” That message will be stronger, however, if he writes his speech with five different audiences in mind:
1. For ordinary voters, he should stress that things are looking up
The biggest and most important audience will not be in the chamber. Biden will want to project a tone of confidence that the country is heading in the right direction on inflation, with tempered optimism that it might avoid a recession. He should take credit for policies that invested in American jobs and workers, such as the infrastructure legislation, the Chips and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
He will also want to shoot down some GOP myths: Deficits have not grown under his watch, and taxes on those making $400,000 or less have not increased. And he should explain that his administration has focused on reducing costs for ordinary Americans, including its measures to control prescription drug prices, boost green energy credits and eliminate the “family glitch” in the Affordable Care Act.
His most important message to the public might be in tone: He should convey that despite all the MAGA craziness, there is more work that Republicans and Democrats can do together. The public should understand that if there is gridlock, it won’t be for lack of effort on Biden’s part.
2. For Democrats, he should lay out what is possible in the short run
Biden wants to keep spirits up in Democratic ranks, but he also needs to level with Democrats now that the House is in the clutches of the MAGA radicals. He does not possess extraordinary executive powers to fix major problems, such as immigration.
And while the Justice Department will continue to fight for voting rights and access to abortion, the best venues to protect Americans’ rights will be state courts and legislatures. Battles for women’s control of their own bodies, for equal access to the ballot box and for criminal justice reform require that the base remain engaged, and that Democrats focus for now outside the federal government and then work strenuously for victories in 2024.
In short, Biden can reassure progressives that he has gotten more done in two years than nearly every modern president while simultaneously preparing them to shift gears while the House is in MAGA hands.
3. For MAGA hard-liners, he should make clear he means business
Biden should leave not a scintilla of doubt that Republicans will be responsible for the economic meltdown that results from a standoff on the debt ceiling. And he should remind them that under his predecessor, Republicans joined with Democrats to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.
As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities explained last fall, if the United States is unable to pay its bills, it “would shake financial markets around the world. It would raise serious doubts about the nation’s creditworthiness, sap the confidence of lenders, call into question the dollar’s place as a reserve currency, and increase federal borrowing costs.” Even approaching default is risky. CBPP noted that the Government Accountability Office “has found that previous debt limit impasses have disrupted the Treasury debt market, caused a decline in liquidity for certain securities, and added to federal borrowing costs, even though none of these episodes ultimately triggered a default.”
Biden should also make clear: Republicans can avoid the consequences of performative politics if they get down to the hard work of governing.
4. For less kooky Republicans, he should explain what’s in it for them
Biden should not hesitate to reach out to Republicans who don’t hold safe seats in deep-red areas. They will be just as much responsible for an economic catastrophe if they throw their lot in with MAGA radicals.
Instead, Biden can offer them an escape: Work with him to pass a debt ceiling bill, sound border policy and legislation to lower health-care costs. Just as Republicans who voted with Democrats on the infrastructure package and the Chips Act received credit for their work, Biden can explain that the voters back home in 2024 will have no doubt which incumbents were constructive problem-solvers and which were not.
5. For the world, he should project that America has staying power
Biden should not miss the chance to explain to foes and friends that the United States will never give in to aggressors such as Russia and China. He can be explicit: Isolationists are a small minority in Congress and will not undermine U.S. strength.
Biden should be forthright in projecting that “America is back” — both in defending the sovereignty of allies around the world and in leading international efforts to combat hunger, climate change and cyberterrorism. And he should hold up the United States as an example of a functional democracy that, at its best, can produce results for its citizens.