USA TODAY International Edition
Biden’s address was unique in history
WASHINGTON – A sparsely packed chamber. No special guests. Everyone in masks.
President Joe Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress was unlike any in modern history due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. With no more than 200 folks permitted for an event that can hold up to 1,500, an event known for its glad- handing cadence and rousing moments was destined to be subdued.
“While the setting tonight is familiar, this gathering is very different – a reminder of the extraordinary times we are in,” Biden said, acknowledging the scene before him of strategically spaced lawmakers.
The few dozen lawmakers who attended were assigned to specific seats and couldn’t move once they were in place. Some sat in the balcony of the chamber, known as the gallery, usually reserved for guests.
Despite the partisanship that normally resides in the Capitol, the vibe before the speech was relaxed and amicable, with members fist- bumping and gathering in small clusters – all wearing masks.
Some members took selfies with each other. Some sat quietly scrolling through their phones as they waited for senators to make their way in.
The brown leather seats were marked either with the name of a lawmaker or a paper sheet saying no one could sit there.
But even those who were in the gallery near Biden got no more than a wave and a few words from a socially safe distance.
The speech, which fell just before his 100th day as president, was the first time Biden had addressed Congress since entering the White House. He spent much of his remarks selling his $ 1.8 trillion plan to boost programs for families and children and a $ 2.3 trillion jobs and infrastructure plan. Both need congressional approval.
It was the third role Biden has played in such speeches – and the first time he was the one delivering it. He attended many of them during his 36 years as a senator from Delaware, starting with President Richard Nixon. Then, for eight years, he sat behind President Barack Obama on the dais as his vice president.
Early on in his speech Wednesday, he paid homage to his vice president, Kamala Harris, the first woman to hold that position and, as a result, the first woman to preside over the Senate during a presidential address.