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President Joe Biden held his second State of the Union Address in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.
The president discussed his accomplishments during his first two years of his presidency and his goals for his last year in office.
Coronavirus:
One of the first accomplishments Biden talked about in his Address was his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Biden reminded Americans what it was like at the beginning of his administration’s response.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of weekly cases when Biden took over in January of 2021 was at 1,381,646 cases. As of Feb. 1, the number of weekly cases had dropped to 280,911 cases. Bidensaid the death rate for COVID-19 has decreased by 90%. He said schools and businesses were shut down, but wanted Americans to “recognize how far we came in the fight against the pandemic.”
Biden said because of these achievements, the country was able to reopen and end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many early COVID-19 policies such as masking and caps on large gatherings have mostly gone away in the past year. In California, masks are only required in healthcare settings and senior adult care facilities according to the State of California COVID-19 website.
However, he also reminded Americans to stay wary of the pandemic.
Healthcare:
President Biden addressed some of the accomplishments and goals to make healthcare better and more financially accessible.
The U.S. health system ranks last among 11 high-income countries with many Americans struggling to afford care as income inequality widens, according to a study by The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation which aims to create an equitable healthcare system.
Throughout Biden’s speech he said he would veto any policies that would cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
“Big Pharma is unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars, $400 to $500 a month, making record profits,” he said during the Address.
However, Biden said this will not be an issue anymore.
President Biden said many of his policies, which took effect on Jan. 1, gave Medicare the ability to negotiate drug prices which will help bring down the price of prescription drugs.
In a July 9, 2021 article by the American Presidency Project run by UC Santa Barbara, Biden signed an executive order demanding to make the “information technology sector” more fair, open and competitive.
To fulfill this executive order, on Nov. 21, 2021, Biden announced his Prescription Drug Pricing Plan. This plan would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices for high-cost prescription drugs.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 included several provisions aimed at lowering drug prices according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
The Inflation Reduction Act, is a 10-year plan changing a wide range of policies including paying down the deficit to fight inflation, according to the Democrats Senate summary document.
He also said that his administration capped the cost of insulin to only $35 a month for Medicare Part D enrollees.
Medicare Part D helps those enrolled pay for prescription drugs according to a Dec. 7, 2020 article by the National Council on Aging, a charity .
He also made a plea to some of his colleagues in the audience to continue these efforts after 2025, the expiration date for many of these policies.
“Let’s finish the job and make the savings permanent, expand coverage for Medicare,” President Biden said.
Economy
During his speech, Biden remarked on the economic accomplishments achieved during his term, highlighting on the decline of unemployment rate and the importance of the Inflation Reduction Act
Biden said he considered the Inflation Reduction Act, “the most significant investment ever.”
The bill aims to reduce costs for small businesses by maintaining lower health care costs, supporting energy-saving investments, and bolstering supply chain resiliency, according to the White House Inflation Reduction Act webpage.
“The unemployment rate is at 3.4%, a 50-year low, near-record unemployment for Black and Hispanic workers,” Biden said. “We’ve already created, with your help, 800,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs, the fastest growth in 40 years.
The economic goals also focus attention on clean energy technologies and on improving infrastructure in the U.S..
Biden said he aims to have 500,000 electric vehicle-charging stations installed across the country.
He also said he promised that families will be able to save more than $1,000 a year with a tax credit to purchase electric vehicles and energy efficient appliances.
“The climate crisis doesn’t care if you’re in a red or blue state,” President Biden said.
However, he also said the country still needs to depend on oil and gas for energy and fuel.
Infrastructure and Job Opportunities:
By passing the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden aims to make America the number one leading country in the tech industry.
“ ‘America can’t lead the world in manufacturing’ I don’t know where that’s written,” he said.
Biden said the U.S. has been exporting jobs for too long.
The president reminded Americans that the U.S. used to lead the world in manufacturing computer chips and automobiles.
He also admitted that the U.S. has fallen behind.
President Biden reminded Americans that the U.S. used to produce 40% of the world’s computer chips, but now only produces 10% of the world’s computer chip supply.
“Last several decades, we’ve lost our edge,” he said.
Now the president said he is aiming to bring those jobs back by focusing on American made products.
“I know I’ve been criticized for saying this, but I’m not changing my view,” President Biden said. “We’re gonna make sure the supply chain for America begins in America.”
President Biden said his administration had already created 100,000 new manufacturing jobs without any new policies.
With more upcoming policies, the president claims that his administration will be able to help create hundreds of thousands of jobs throughout the country, not just on the coast.
To fund these efforts, President Biden said the money will come from companies who will spend $300 billion in investing in American manufacturing.
The Biden administration passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will provide $350 billion in highway programs to rebuild America’s roads, bridges and rails, according to a Federal Highway Administration webpage.
The president claims that many of these new jobs will not require a college degree.
“Now thanks for what you’ve all done, we’re exporting American products and creating American jobs,” President Biden said.