Biden delivers State of the Union as Russia-Ukraine war deepens: LIVE UPDATES
Biden delivered his first State of the Union as United States president amid Russia's recent attacks on Ukraine and during a time of low approval ratings.
Coverage for this event has ended.
President Joe Biden presents copies of his speech to Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of Calif., as he arrives to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Washington. (Saul Loeb, Pool via AP)
The challenge posed by China received little attention in President Biden's first State of the Union.
While Biden spent significant amounts of time addressing the threats posed by Russia, COVID-19 and inflation, China was mentioned only in passing during the address.
He mentioned Chinese President Xi Jinping while touting an "infrastructure decade."
"It is going to transform America and put us on a path to win the economic competition of the 21st Century that we face with the rest of the world—particularly with China," he said. "As I’ve told Xi Jinping, it is never a good bet to bet against the American people."
Rep. Lauren Boebert, who yelled at President Biden during the State of the Union, explains in a tweet what happened.
"When Biden said flag draped coffins I couldn't stay silent. I told him directly he did it. He put 13 in there," she says, referring to the 13 service members who died in a terrorist attack during the withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.
"Our heroic servicemen and women deserve so much better," she tweeted.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has released a statement hailing what he called a "bold, strong and comprehensive vision that will resonate with the vast majority of Americans."
"The president focused on lowering costs, creating new jobs, and a brighter sunnier America, which is just what our country wants and needs," he said.
"I was very glad to see a large part of President Biden’s State of the Union address focus on fighting inflation and the rising cost of living. Democrats will work with him to bring these down for the American people as soon as possible.
“Now as we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, Democrats are laser focused on lowering costs for Americans, from the grocery store to the gas pump to the pharmacy. By addressing the root causes of higher costs – supply chain disruptions and price gouging by greedy companies – the president’s plan is the right prescription to drive down costs and restore America’s sunny optimism.
“The president also stressed the importance of fighting COVID and asked Republicans and Democrats to join him in appropriately funding testing, treatments, therapeutics, and vaccines to contain and corral any new variant that might come. We hope Republicans will join us to accomplish this.
“Yet as America is steadily getting back to normal we face the new, more dangerous threat of authoritarianism abroad. It was appropriate for Democrats and Republicans to recognize the outstanding job President Biden has done in Ukraine with many standing ovations. And now we must roll up our sleeves and work to contain an aggressive Russia and a vicious Putin. We should now come together on a bipartisan bill to aid Ukraine in their fight.
“In short, tonight President Biden showed America why they elected him. And Congressional Democrats will work to enact his broad, bold vision for our country’s future.”
President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Washington. (Saul Loeb, Pool via AP)
The Republican National Committee is out with a statement criticizing the Biden State of the Union, saying the speech "showed he fails to grasp the hurt his policies have caused American families."
"He did not take responsibility for his failures, offered no real solutions to the many crises Americans are facing, and instead doubled down on his disastrous and polarizing agenda. Americans are struggling and Biden once again ignored them," RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in the statement. "Republicans will hold Biden and Democrats accountable in November.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says, in the GOP response to the State of the Union, that Republican governors are filling what she sees as a leadership void coming from the Biden administration.
"Republicans may not have the White House. But we’re doing what we can to fill the leadership vacuum," she says. "On the issues that are affecting Americans, Republicans are leading."
"We are standing up for parents and kids; we’re standing up for life. We’re keeping our communities safe and thanking those in uniform. We’re fighting to restore America’s energy independence, including biofuels. We’re getting people back to work, not paying them to stay home. Most of all, we’re respecting your freedom," she says.
She tells viewers that they "shouldn't have to wake up every morning and worry about the next thing the government is going to do to you, your business, or your children."
Reynolds is introducing herself to the nation by delivering the Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Giving the Republican response to the State of the Union, Gov. Kim Reynolds says that Americans "are tired of a political class trying to remake this country into a place where an elite few tell everyone else what they can and cannot say. What they can and cannot believe."
She says Americans are tired of the "theater" surrounding COVID mandates, specifically on masks.
"You’ve heard the excuses. They were just holding their breath. But it’s the American people who are waiting to exhale. Waiting for the insanity to stop," she says.
She says there is an "alternative" to the last 12 months and contrasts how red states handled schools compared to blue states.
"What happened—and is still happening—to our children over the last two years is unconscionable. Learning loss. Isolation. Anxiety. Depression. In so many states, our kids have been left behind and many will never catch up," she says.
"That’s why Iowa was the first state in the nation to require that schools open their doors. I was attacked by the left; I was attacked by the media. But it wasn’t a hard choice. It was the right choice. And keeping schools open is only the start of the pro-parent, pro-family revolution that Republicans are leading in Iowa and states across this country," she says.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union, She says "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 on our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map."
"Even before taking the oath of office, the President told us that he wanted to 'make America respected around the world again and to unite us here at home,'" she says.
"He’s failed on both fronts."
She says that Biden has not projected strength abroad, but adds "we cannot project strength abroad if we’re weak at home."
Reynolds says the the Biden administration has spent the last making issues facing Americans worse. Zeroing in on inflation, she says that it is not a "high class problem" but an "everybody problem."
The verdict is in: masks are out.
President Biden’s first State of the Union of his presidency saw the overwhelming majority of Congress eschew their masks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed their guidance on the subject this week.
Democrats across the country have been overwhelmingly behind mask mandates for the past year, though many reversed course once public opinion on face coverings soured.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the week of Biden’s congressional address, announced the lifting of the House’s mask mandate — something the Senate never implemented on the other side of the Capitol.
President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Washington. (Saul Loeb, Pool via AP)
Per Fox News' Chad Pergram: The President spoke for 1 hours and 2 minutes. He was interrupted 91 times by applause.
That does not include the two occasions when members applauded when he entered the House chamber and then was introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Biden concludes by saying that "the State of the Union is strong -- because you, the American people, are strong."
"We are stronger today than we were a year ago," he says. "And we will be stronger a year from now than we are today."
This is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time. And we will, as one people," he says.
Biden calls for a "unity agenda" for the U.S., saying there are things Republicans and Democrats can agree on.
The first is to beat the opioid epidemic: "Increase funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery. Get rid of outdated rules that stop doctors from prescribing treatments. And stop the flow of illicit drugs by working with state and local law enforcement to go after traffickers."
The second is targeting mental health, particularly for children "whose lives and education have been turned upside down." That includes strengthening privacy protections and banning targeting advertising to children.
The third is supporting America's veterans. Here, he mentions the burn pits, which are believed to have given many veterans cancer and other illnesses. He notes his own son, Beau, died of cancer after coming home from Iraq.
"We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops. But I’m committed to finding out everything we can," he says.
He introduces the widow of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson, who was stationed near burn pits and later died of cancer. He says he is expanding eligibility to veterans suffering from nine cancers, and calls on Congress to make sure those exposed get the "benefits and comprehensive health care they deserve."
Finally, he calls for an end to cancer "as we know it." He says the goal is to cut the cancer death rate by 50% over the next 25 years. He calls on Congress to fund ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.
Biden turns to the thorny question of illegal immigration and border security, saying "we need to secure the border and fix the immigration system."
There are chants of "build the wall" from Republicans, something Biden halted.
He touts technology scanners that have been installed to better detect drugs and patrols with Mexico and Guatemala -- and more commitments from countries in South and Central America to take in more migrants and secure borders.
But then he says there should be amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.
"Provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers," he says.
Biden praises two NYPD officers who were killed in duty responding to a 9-11 call.
"I spoke with their families and told them that we are forever in debt for their sacrifice, and we will carry on their mission to restore the trust and safety every community deserves," he says.
He touts investment in the American Rescue Plan in community policing and "proven strategies" like community violence interruption.
He then rebuffs left-wing calls to "Defund the Police."
"The answer is not to defund the police, it's to FUND the police," he says. "Fund them."
He then calls for gun control measures, including an assault weapons ban and ending liability shields for gun manufacturers.
"These laws don’t infringe on the Second Amendment. They save lives,' he says.
Biden says he recognizes that Americans are "tired, frustrated and exhausted" of COVID-19.
He says that because of the "progress we’ve made, because of your resilience and the tools we have, tonight I can say we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines."
"We’ve reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19, with severe cases down to a level not seen since July of last year," and goes on to note the new mask guidelines from the CDC.
He promises that more anti-viral pills are coming, and a new testing initiative to make sure people get tested at a pharmacy and receive pills on the spot if they're positive. He also announces more testing being made available.
He also indicates that more masking may be necessary down the road.
"And, if Congress provides the funds we need, we’ll have new stockpiles of tests, masks, and pills ready if needed," he says.
"I cannot promise a new variant won’t come. But I can promise you we’ll do everything within our power to be ready if it does."
Biden says that the tax system is "not fair" and "we have to fix it."
"I’m not looking to punish anyone. But let’s make sure corporations and the wealthiest Americans start paying their fair share," he says.
He notes he has proposed a 15% minimum tax rate for corporation. He also says that more than 130 countries have agreed on a global minimum tax rate so companies can’t dodge taxes by shipping jobs abroad.
He goes on to take another shot at the Trump administration, saying it "ballooned the deficit" with tax cuts, and says it also undermined watchdogs to stop pandemic funds from being misused.
Biden also calls for a $15 minimum wage and for an extension of the Child Tax Credit.
Biden pivots to inflation, and says "I get it."
"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," he says. "Inflation is robbing them of the gains they might otherwise feel."
"I get it. That’s why my top priority is getting prices under control," he says.
He says the answer is a "made in America" focus to lower costs, rather than wages.
"Make more cars and semiconductors in America," he says. "More infrastructure and innovation in America. More goods moving faster and cheaper in America."
Biden calls it "building a better America" and says it will lower costs and lower the deficit.
As Biden touts the effects of the American Rescue Plan, he takes a shot at the tax cuts passed under the Trump administration.
"Unlike the $2 Trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefitted the top 1% of Americans, the American Rescue Plan helped working people—and left no one behind.
While Democrats stood up and applauded, there were loud boos from Republicans in the chamber, who were not happy at the shot taken at the prior administration.
Biden yelled over the boos and applause, saying "it worked, it worked."
He says more jobs were created in one year than ever before in the history of America.
He goes on to tout the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and claims "we're about to have an infrastructure decade." He calls on Congress to pass the Bipartisan Innovation Act to make "record investments" in tech and manufacturing.
"Send it to my desk. I’ll sign it," he tells lawmakers. "And we will really take off."
Biden says he is taking "robust action" to make sure sanctions are aimed at Russia's economy, and is working with 30 countries to release 60 million barrels of oil reserves from around the world.
"America will lead that effort, releasing 30 Million barrels from our own Strategic Petroleum Reserve," he says.
"These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. And I know the news about what’s happening can seem alarming," he says. "But I want you to know that we are going to be okay."
Biden begins his State of the Union address with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and says that Putin "badly miscalculated."
"Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the foundations of the free world thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated."
He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead he met a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people."
Biden introduces the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., who gets a large round of applause from those gathered in the chamber.
"Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression they cause more chaos," he says.
Biden goes on to claim that "Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever."
He touts "powerful economic sanctions," cutting off banks and "choking" off access to tech firms.
"We are coming for your ill-begotten gains," he says to the oligarchs, before announcing a U.S. airspace ban.
"And tonight I am announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American air space to all Russian flights – further isolating Russia – and adding an additional squeeze – on their economy."
He says the U.S. is providing military and economic assistance to Ukraine, but says U.S. forces will not engage with Russian forces.
President Biden has entered the House chamber as he prepares to make his State of the Union address.
He has been introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and is flanked by both Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The chamber of the House of Representatives is seen at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, where President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union speech Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress and the nation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is the designated survivor for the State of the Union, a White House official told Fox News.
During major political events, such as a presidential inauguration or State of the Union address, an official within the presidential line of succession is given the role of "designated survivor" and has to stay away from the event.
If a catastrophic event were to strike the Capitol and result in the death or disablement of the president, vice president, speaker of the House or other White House officials, then the "designated survivor" could step in to be the acting commander-in-chief.
Per Fox News' Chad Pergram: Many members attending the State of the Union speech tonight will be wearing small lapel ribbons of blue and yellow to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
The push to get the ribbons complete was a project by the office of Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio.
Meanwhile, it is expected that there will be 600-700 people total in the House chamber tonight
In a non-pandemic period, the chamber can accommodate a grand total of 1600-plus for State of the Union, including the viewing galleries. There are around 440 fixed chairs on the floor. But they bring in 40-50 chairs for such events for dignitaries, the cabinet and the Supreme Court.
Last year’s speech included only 200 persons.
An armed man stands by the remains of a Russian military vehicle in Bucha, close to the capital Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Serhii Nuzhnenko)
President Biden will use his State of the Union address to announce that he is banning Russian planes from American airspace in retaliation for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to Fox News.
Biden will outline the economic sanctions and other measures he has taken in response to the invasion of Ukraine, while announcing the new airspace ban.
Biden will also emphasize the importance of American diplomacy in the response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, according to excerpts released earlier in the evening by the White House.
"Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising," Biden will say, according to prepared remarks released by the White House.
"That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2. The United States is a member along with 29 other nations," he will say.
"It matters. American diplomacy matters."
Additionally, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. will be in the viewing box with First Lady Jill Biden.
Security measures are going into effect ahead of the State of the Union address. (Fox News/Tyler Olson)
With about an hour to go before President Biden's first State of the Union address, security measures are already in place, and images taken by Fox News' Tyler Olson shows officials gearing up ahead of the speech.
A security fence has already been erected around the Capitol building in recent days in anticipation of the address.
The speaker's dais in the House of Representatives is seen at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, where President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union speech Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress and the nation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Biden will tout his "comprehensive strategy" to combat crime across America, including investments in crime prevention and "community policing," the White House said Tuesday.
A White House official told Fox News that "the answer is not to defund the police, it’s to put more police – with better training and more accountability."
It's a contrast to the far-left of the Democratic Party which has stuck stubbornly to a "defund the police" narrative even as crime has skyrocketed in cities that have attempted to implement such policies.
The White House said that Biden has been focused on a five-part strategy to reduce crime, including gun crime. That strategy includes tougher enforcement against gun traffickers, funding for more police on the streets, investments in "evidence-based community violence interventions," more summer programs and employment opportunities for young people and programs to help those released from prison successfully reenter their communities and break the cycle of re-offending."
President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress on April 28, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)
President Biden will urge lawmakers to pass gun control measures, including expanded background checks, and bans on "assault weapons," the White House said Tuesday.
In a fact sheet ahead of the 9pm State of the Union address, the White House touted Biden's "historic actions" to reduce gun crime -- including increased funding to put more police officers into community policing and a slew of executive actions.
"The President has proposed a $5 billion investment in community violence interventions, including a $200 million investment in Fiscal Year 2022," the White House said.
Previewing Biden's remarks, the statement said that he will "reiterate his call for Congress to pass commonsense gun violence prevention legislation that will save lives."
"This legislation, which fully aligns with the Second Amendment, includes requiring background checks for all gun sales, ensuring that no terrorist can buy a weapon in the United States, banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines, repealing gun manufacturers’ protection from liability, and banning ghost guns."
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, July 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
First lady Jill Biden is set to attend President Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday night with a select group of guests, including one individual who has pushed heavily for the teaching of critical race theory in schools.
Melissa Isaac, the Gizhwaasod ("Protector of the Young") at the Michigan Department of Education’s Indigenous Education Initiative, has a history of rejecting arguments on social media made against the teaching of critical race theory.
Last summer, Isaac, the founder of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe’s Project AWARE Program, claimed in a few different tweets that the "argument against teaching Critical Race Theory is a smokescreen."
"Let's call it for what it is CENSORSHIP," Isaac stated. "That's what we're really talking about. Censoring systemic racism, injustice, and inequality will NOT ungay the gay, unqueer the queen, nor will it reduce the number of [Black, Indigenous, people of color] killed by police brutality. It will not keep my indigenous sisters from going Missing and being Murdered, and it definitely won't kill the Indian to save the man…..We are still here."
Reynolds is introducing herself to the nation by delivering the Republican response to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union, will say that President Biden and Democrats have "sent us back in time."
"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 on our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map," she will say according to excerpts released by her office.
On foreign policy, she will say zero in on the "disastrous" withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying it "did more than cost American lives; it betrayed our allies and emboldened our enemies."
She will also mention the Ukraine crisis, calling it "an attack on democracy, freedom, and the rule of law."
"Now all Americans must stand united in solidarity with the brave people of Ukraine as they courageously defend their country against Putin’s tyranny," Reynolds will say.
Reynolds is also expected to talk about the importance of keeping schools open, describing it as "only the start of the pro-parent, pro-family revolution that Republicans are leading in Iowa and states across this country."
The excerpts also preview her criticism of the Biden administration on inflation.
"The Biden Administration believes inflation is 'a high-class problem.' I can tell you it’s an everybody problem," she will say. "I saw moms’ and dads’ paychecks buy them less and less. I watched working people choosing which essentials to take home and which ones to leave behind at the register. And now President Biden’s decisions have a whole new generation feeling that same pain."
The chamber of the House of Representatives is seen at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, where President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union speech Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress and the nation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Biden will use his State of the Union address to outline a "better plan" to combat inflation -- an economic trend that has dogged his administration, and American consumers in recent months.
"We have a choice. One way to fight inflation is to drive down wages and make Americans poorer. I have a better plan to fight inflation," he will say according to excerpts of his address released by the White House.
Biden will say that his plan is to "lower your costs, not your wages."
"Make more cars and semiconductors in America. More infrastructure and innovation in America. More goods moving faster and cheaper in America. More jobs where you can earn a good living in America. And, instead of relying on foreign supply chains – let’s make it in America," he will say.
"Economists call it 'increasing the productive capacity of our economy.' I call it building a better America," Biden will say, claiming it will "lower your costs and lower the deficit."
U.S. inflation rose 7.5 percent in January compared to the previous year, the highest since February 1982.
Biden will speak at 9pm ET.
The speaker's dais in the House of Representatives is seen at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, where President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union speech Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress and the nation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Biden, at tonight's State of the Union, will emphasize the importance of American diplomacy in the response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, according to excerpts released by the White House.
"Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos. They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising," Biden will say.
"That’s why the NATO Alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War 2. The United States is a member along with 29 other nations."
"It matters. American diplomacy matters," he will tell lawmakers in Congress.
The U.S. and its NATO allies have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Biden will tell lawmakers that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been unable to divide the NATO countries in their response to the invasion.
"Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And, he thought he could divide us here at home," he will say.
"Putin was wrong. We were ready."
President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress on April 28, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)
President Biden's "failures" on Russia, Afghanistan and energy policy have caused a "global catastrophe," according to a Republican Study Committee (RSC) messaging memo circulated ahead of President Biden's State of the Union Address.
The memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, outlines a series of setbacks in Biden's first year that created a "domestic crisis," emboldened adversaries and made America "weaker."
"Now, Joe Biden’s domestic crises have caused a global catastrophe," the RSC memo to conservatives in the House and beyond reads.
"The crisis in Ukraine should be communicated in the context of Biden’s past year of failures, especially inflation, his war on domestic energy and the Afghanistan debacle," the memo continues.
The Republican Study Committee is the largest group of House conservatives and its memos often serve as messaging tools for how Republicans will offer a unified response or policy position on prominent issues.
President Biden will deliver the State of the Union on Tuesday evening. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Co-host Bill Hemmer pressed White House press secretary Jen Psaki Thursday during an extensive interview on "America’s Newsroom," asking why the White House dropped its indoor mask mandate for vaccinated individuals ahead of President Biden’s State of the Union address.
"What changed in the science yesterday, Monday, as opposed to a week ago Monday?" asked Hemmer.
"It wasn’t actually yesterday, Bill. What the CDC did is they put out guidance last Friday that identified recommendations depending on what the hospitalization rates are in your part of the country," responded Psaki.
Psaki referenced updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which drastically eased its recommendations for mask-wearing across the country. According to the new guidance, Americans who are in an area of "low" or "medium" risk for COVID-19 transmission do not need to wear masks. This model means that over 70% of Americans can now go maskless. This includes Washington D.C., where an indoor mask mandate from Mayor Muriel Bowser expired Tuesday.
"The recommendation is not to wear masks, so we’re not wearing masks in the White House, the president’s not going to wear a mask tonight. But it’s different depending on the part of the country," added Psaki.
As President Biden prepares to address the nation in his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, the White House has revealed details about the president's plans for lowering prices on everyday items as Americans struggle with inflation at highs not seen in decades.
Biden is expected to lay out a four-pronged vision focused on bolstering supply chains, reducing the cost of everyday expenses, enacting further antitrust measures and promoting union labor.
The president will tout the growth in the U.S. economy during his first year in office as the country emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic and make a renewed push for American-made products, the White House said.
Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., is one of a number of guests who will be in the viewing box with First Lady Jill Biden, the White House announced Tuesday.
It is the latest indicator that the crisis in Ukraine will be one of the main topics for President Biden's State of the Union address tonight.
Markarova has been making appeals for speedier help from the West to help her country fend off the Russian invasion, which started last week.
"Europe and [the] transatlantic community, I should say, is very much united on this," Oksana Markarova told reporters in Washington, D.C. "We just need it faster so that we can save more lives.
The U.S. has sent $1 billion worth of defensive aid to Ukraine over the last year — $350 million of which the White House announced on Saturday.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is giving her own address after the State of the Union. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
President Biden's State of the Union address is bringing into glaring view the deepening rift within the Democratic Party after several Democrats called out Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for her planned response.
The president is expected to promote unity both at home and abroad Tuesday night as Russia continues its deadly invasion of Ukraine and U.S. inflation soars to record highs.
An unintended focal point will be the contrast between moderate Democrats and progressives just nine months out from the midterm elections, after Tlaib ruffled the feathers of multiple fellow Democrats by announcing she’ll be giving a response to Biden’s historic speech.
President Biden's "failures" on Russia, Afghanistan and energy policy have caused a "global catastrophe," according to a Republican Study Committee (RSC) messaging memo circulated ahead of President Biden's State of the Union Address.
The memo, obtained by Fox News Digital, outlines a series of setbacks in Biden's first year that created a "domestic crisis," emboldened adversaries and made America "weaker."
"Now, Joe Biden’s domestic crises have caused a global catastrophe," the RSC memo to conservatives in the House and beyond reads.
The chamber of the House of Representatives is seen at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, where President Biden will deliver his State of the Union speech Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress and the nation. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Biden's State of the Union address will air live on Fox News Channel beginning at 8:55 p.m. ET, with chief political anchor and "Special Report's" Bret Baier and "The Story" anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum co-anchoring coverage.
On the Fox broadcast network, FNC's John Roberts will host coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
And on the speech will be streamed live on FoxNews.com at 9 p.m. ET.
President Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday amid tumultuous events at home and abroad, namely, the Russian war on Ukraine.
Here is everything you need to know about the speech.
Live Coverage begins here