(Bloomberg) -- Joe Biden vowed to confront Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, fight inflation at home and turn the page on the coronavirus pandemic in a State of the Union address intended to reassure a nation on edge -- and revive his troubled presidency.
Biden sought to show U.S. solidarity with Ukraine by inviting his audience -- including the country's ambassador -- to stand in support for the country. Democrats and Republicans stood and cheered, a rare show of unity after a year of bitter divisions that left the president's agenda stalled.
The president rattled off a litany of retaliatory actions against the Kremlin, including an announcement that the U.S. would close its airspace to Russian airlines, following European allies. He warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that the war would leave his country weaker and more isolated.
“He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never imagined. He met the Ukrainian people,” Biden said. But he cautioned that “a Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world.”
Though Russia's invasion of Ukraine forced the White House to recast Biden's speech, he spent less than 10 minutes discussing the conflict and Putin before turning to the issue Americans care most about: the economic hardships of the pandemic.
“We meet tonight in an America that has lived through two of the hardest years this nation has ever faced,” Biden said. “The pandemic has been punishing.”
In an unexpected move that may cause unease among some Americans still wary of the virus, Biden urged people who have been working from home for nearly two years to return to their offices. And he pledged that his top priority would be to confront rising prices, which have overshadowed his economic achievements and weigh heavily on his party's electoral prospects in November.
The speech, Biden's second to a joint session of Congress, reflected the peril he'll navigate over the coming year. The president must find a way to lower surging consumer prices, maintain a united front against Russia and keep Covid-19 cases in check, all in the face of a deeply pessimistic public. Biden's approval rating stands at barely more than 40%, according to an analysis of polls by FiveThirtyEight.
Looming over domestic woes are fears that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia could spiral into a wider conflict. During his campaign, the president said his decades of foreign policy experience made him best equipped to guide America's role in the world. Yet the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer shook public confidence in his leadership.
“I want you to know that we are going to be OK,” Biden assured Americans in his speech.
While urging people to resume more normal lifestyles as the pandemic recedes, he sought to ease the concerns of those who might worry the government is retreating too quickly from restrictions such as social distancing and mask requirements.
Read More: Biden Steps to Mic Under Shadow of Inflation, Putin's War
Pills to treat Covid-19 will soon be available on-demand at pharmacies immediately after someone tests positive, Biden said. Pfizer Inc. is working to escalate production of its pill, which has been shown to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and death in clinical trials. The company is aiming to deliver a million courses of the treatment this month and over 2 million in April, Biden said.
He called on Congress to dedicate new funding for Covid-19 initiatives, including efforts to prepare for the arrival of any new variant.
The president outlined a revamped economic plan to replace an earlier proposal, Build Back Better, that was rejected by Republicans and a key Senate Democrat, West Virginia's Joe Manchin. The measures in his rebranded plan concentrate on two issues at the front of mind for most Americans: rising consumer prices and the still-lingering pandemic.
Inflation Plan
In the Republican response to the president's address, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said that Biden and congressional Democrats stymied the nation's progress with Build Back Better, which she described as a failed plan to spend trillions more on misguided policies. Ordinary Americans, she said, were left to contend with high inflation and fret over vast foreign policy challenges.
“We're now one year into his presidency, and instead of moving America forward it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time to the late 70s and early 80s when runaway inflation was hammering families, a violent crime wave was crashing our cities and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map,” Reynolds said Tuesday after Biden's speech.
The president's re-branded agenda includes few new offerings, raising immediate questions about whether it can gain traction in Congress. He repeated calls to pass stalled legislation on voting rights, gun control and immigration. He also asked Congress to raise taxes on high earners and corporations to fund his social initiatives, a move opposed by Senator Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat.
“I may be wrong, but my guess is if we took a secret ballot in this floor, that we'd all agree that the present tax system ain't fair. We have to fix it. I'm not looking to punish anybody but let's make corporations and wealthy Americans start paying their fair share,” Biden said.
He called for efforts to bolster U.S. manufacturing, shore up supply chains, lower costs for health care and elder care and reduce the federal budget deficit. It's a set of policies that may be aimed at appealing to moderates like Manchin, who has cited deficit and inflation concerns for his opposition to Build Back Better.
“One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer,” Biden said. “I think I have a better idea to fight inflation. Lower your costs, not your wages.”
While Biden's political standing has taken a beating over the past six months, he defended his handling of the economy and the pandemic and brushed back criticism that his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan caused inflation to spike. He said the virus aid package helped the economy achieve its fastest job growth in American history and the fastest growth in output in nearly 40 years.
“We needed to act, and we did. And it worked. It created jobs. Lots of jobs,” Biden said.
At the same time, the president sought to recognize Americans' suffering, likening the economic pain and uncertainty many Americans are feeling to when his father lost his job.
“The pandemic has been punishing,” Biden said. “I understand.”
He vowed that getting inflation under control would be his “top priority.”
“With all the bright spots in our economy, record job growth and higher wages, too many families are struggling to keep up with the bills. Inflation is robbing them of the gains they might otherwise feel,” Biden said.
Read this next: One Year, 14 Metrics: The State of Biden's Presidency
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