Biden takes his message on the road to promote his domestic agenda

Judy Woodruff:

More than 30 million Americans watched as President Biden delivered his first State of the Union address last night. And, today, he hit the campaign trail to promote his domestic agenda in a key Midwest state.

Geoff Bennett has our report.

Geoff Bennett:

President Joe Biden is back in the battleground state of Wisconsin today…

President Joe Biden:

Hello, Wisconsin.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Geoff Bennett:

… to tout the roads and bridges being built as part of his bipartisan infrastructure law.

President Joe Biden:

Now, after years of talking about infrastructure, we're finally getting it done.

Geoff Bennett:

Wisconsin helped secure Biden's 2020 victory, and his stop in the battleground state builds on a key theme of his State of the Union address, arguing his economic agenda, with a focus on infrastructure investments and American manufacturing, creates jobs and makes the U.S. more competitive.

The president also touting individual policies to reduce prescription drug costs, and provide affordable child care, elder care, and universal pre-K, without mentioning the words Build Back Better, the name of his stalled legislative package.

President Joe Biden:

I call it building a better America.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

President Joe Biden:

My plan to fight inflation will lower your costs and lower the deficit; 17 Nobel laureates in economics said my plan will ease long-term inflationary pressures.

Geoff Bennett:

With national polls showing his job approval ratings plummeting, the president is attempting to reset his priorities, while giving his party a road map for the midterm elections in November.

That means easing Americans' concerns over the pandemic and surging inflation, all while confronting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In his Tuesday night address, Biden condemned Russia for what he called an unprovoked and unjustified invasion.

President Joe Biden:

Russia's Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways. But he badly miscalculated.

Geoff Bennett:

This morning, speaking to reporters, the president said it's clear that Russia is targeting Ukrainian civilians, but stopped short of saying whether the country has committed war crimes.

Question:

Do you believe Russia is committing war crimes in Ukraine?

President Joe Biden:

We are following it very closely. It's early to say that.

Geoff Bennett:

With the Ukraine crisis looming over his domestic agenda, Democrats pushing another of the president's key priorities, with the Supreme Court confirmation process officially kicking off today, the president's nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, beginning the customary series of meet-and-greets with key senators, sit-downs today with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) : I want this to be fair, timely, and professional.

Geoff Bennett:

The committee announcing today that hearings on Jackson's nomination will start on March 21.

Two days have been put aside for questioning Jackson, then another day for additional witnesses to testify. Senator Schumer says he wants the confirmation process finished by April 8. If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the nation's High Court, all of it coming at a pivotal moment for President Biden at home and abroad.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Geoff Bennett.