In State of the Union, Biden Will Focus on Economy and Russia

Mar 1, 2022
In State of the Union, Biden Will Focus on Economy and Russia

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Mr. Biden will urge Congress to go laws, authorized by the Home in December, to extend the Federal Maritime Fee’s oversight of the transport business.

The president will ship his remarks on Tuesday with out a masks, on the identical day that officers on the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention raise many Covid restrictions for communities throughout the nation the place circumstances, hospitalizations and deaths have plunged.

Officers introduced that masks necessities for vaccinated White Home staff and guests will likely be dropped beginning on Tuesday, a transfer that can permit Mr. Biden and the primary girl, Jill Biden, to host their State of the Union visitors at a reception that night — one thing that was not allowed below earlier guidelines.

Mr. Biden has battled the pandemic — and its results on American work and life — since taking workplace, largely by vaccinating almost three-quarters of the inhabitants. Because the impression of the Omicron variant fades, administration officers have been hoping to maneuver into a brand new section of the pandemic, the place the virus performs much less of a central function in on a regular basis life.

Whereas the White Home is engaged on an in depth coronavirus response technique for the following section of the pandemic, Mr. Biden will not be more likely to unveil it throughout his speech. As an alternative, he’s anticipated to talk about the coronavirus pandemic in broad strokes, invoking the identical “issues are getting higher, however we’re not out of the woods but” tone that he has adopted in latest weeks.

A White Home official, talking on the situation of anonymity to preview the president’s remarks, stated Mr. Biden would “spotlight that the nation has made large progress” over the previous 13 months, and remind People that the nation has instruments — together with vaccines and coverings — to forestall extreme illness and to deal with those that do get sick.

Mr. Biden has been criticized for prematurely declaring “independence” from the virus final summer season, solely to see a brand new wave of an infection and dying from the Delta variant later that yr. White Home officers are cautious of constructing that mistake once more.

Whereas circumstances are declining and the fast menace is waning, Mr. Biden may also be aware that the virus is unpredictable, and can guarantee the nation that his administration is taking steps to organize for future variants.

Sheryl Homosexual Stolberg, Ana Swanson and Katie Rogers contributed reporting.

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