By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-biden-envisions-hundreds-of-thousands-more-jobs-to-rebuild-u-s-pride Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: Biden envisions hundreds of thousands more jobs to rebuild U.S. pride Politics Feb 7, 2023 9:56 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden called on Republicans in his State of the Union address Tuesday night to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he sought to overcome pessimism in the country and navigate political divisions in Washington. Watch Biden’s remarks in the player above. “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,” he said, highlighting record job creation during his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re not finished yet by any stretch of the imagination, but (the) unemployment rate is at 3.4 percent – a 50-year low,” he added, to loud applause from Democrats. He also lauded the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which he described as revitalizing American manufacturing and promised would “create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country.” WATCH LIVE: President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address The backdrop of the annual address was markedly different from the previous two years, with a Republican speaker sitting expressionless behind Biden and GOP lawmakers in the audience preparing to scrutinize both his administration and his policies. Biden sought to reassure the nation that his stewardship of the country has delivered results both at home and abroad, as he also set out to prove his fitness for a likely re-election bid. But the challenges for Biden are many: economic uncertainty, a wearying war in Ukraine, growing tensions with China and more. And signs of the past trauma at the Capitol, most notably the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, was unavoidable, with a large fence encircling the complex as lawmakers and those in attendance faced tighter-than-usual security measures. From the start, the partisan divisions were clear. Democrats — including Vice President Kamala Harris — jumped to applause as Biden began his speech. New Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, though he had greeted the president warmly when he entered the chamber, stayed in his seat. Rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals, the president set out to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America’s democracy was “unbowed and unbroken.” Biden also pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states’ vital infrastructure and high tech manufacturing. And he says, “There is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.” “The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” Biden said. “And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class — to unite the country.” Watch more of PBS NewsHour’s State of the Union coverage: How will Biden address climate change in the 2023 State of the Union? Ukraine, China and how Biden will address foreign policy in the 2023 State of the Union How Biden could address inflation and the economy during the 2023 State of the Union By — Associated Press Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden called on Republicans in his State of the Union address Tuesday night to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he sought to overcome pessimism in the country and navigate political divisions in Washington. Watch Biden’s remarks in the player above. “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,” he said, highlighting record job creation during his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re not finished yet by any stretch of the imagination, but (the) unemployment rate is at 3.4 percent – a 50-year low,” he added, to loud applause from Democrats. He also lauded the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, which he described as revitalizing American manufacturing and promised would “create hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the country.” WATCH LIVE: President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address The backdrop of the annual address was markedly different from the previous two years, with a Republican speaker sitting expressionless behind Biden and GOP lawmakers in the audience preparing to scrutinize both his administration and his policies. Biden sought to reassure the nation that his stewardship of the country has delivered results both at home and abroad, as he also set out to prove his fitness for a likely re-election bid. But the challenges for Biden are many: economic uncertainty, a wearying war in Ukraine, growing tensions with China and more. And signs of the past trauma at the Capitol, most notably the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, was unavoidable, with a large fence encircling the complex as lawmakers and those in attendance faced tighter-than-usual security measures. From the start, the partisan divisions were clear. Democrats — including Vice President Kamala Harris — jumped to applause as Biden began his speech. New Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, though he had greeted the president warmly when he entered the chamber, stayed in his seat. Rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals, the president set out to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America’s democracy was “unbowed and unbroken.” Biden also pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states’ vital infrastructure and high tech manufacturing. And he says, “There is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.” “The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” Biden said. “And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class — to unite the country.” Watch more of PBS NewsHour’s State of the Union coverage: How will Biden address climate change in the 2023 State of the Union? Ukraine, China and how Biden will address foreign policy in the 2023 State of the Union How Biden could address inflation and the economy during the 2023 State of the Union