What to expect from Biden’s third State of the Union address

Amna Nawaz:

Tonight, President Biden will address Congress and millions of Americans in his third State of the Union and the last of his current term.

Geoff Bennett:

It's a high-stakes moment for the president as he continues his 2024 reelection campaign. And the speech will give him the chance to reach voters and convince them to give him a second term in the White House.

Joining us to explain what we can expect are the "NewsHour"'s Lisa Desjardins and Laura Barron-Lopez.

So, Lisa — or, rather, Laura, we will start with you.

What new proposals and announcements can we expect from the president tonight?

Laura Barron-Lopez:

Thanks, Geoff.

President Biden is expected to announce that the U.S. military is going to establish an emergency port on the coast of Gaza. And we don't know exactly the location of where that port will be, but we do know that that port will enable the delivery of truckloads via ship, truckloads of crucial aid.

That includes food, water, medicine, temporary shelters. And this announcement comes after the third airdrop in recent days of aid. And it means that also no U.S. military will be required to deploy to Gaza.

In addition to that, Geoff, there are also a number of key domestic proposals that the president will be announcing, including raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, offering first-time homebuyers a $5,000 tax credit, capping out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs for all Americans, not just those on Medicare, and urging Congress to pass the bipartisan border deal.

Geoff Bennett:

And, Laura, how are people in the White House and in the Biden campaign really viewing this speech as a chance for the president to reconnect with the key parts of his coalition, the winning coalition that delivered him the White House back in 2020?

Laura Barron-Lopez:

People inside the White House tell me, Geoff, that they really view this speech as what they call the starting gun of 2024.

And it's a chance for the president to lay out his vision to the biggest audience that he is likely to have this entire year. This is a type of audience that he won't typically get if he's just giving a campaign speech. And then a source close to the president told me that, when the president prepares for speeches like this, he spends a lot of time by himself trying to think about what he wants to say.

He takes input, but he is also — he tends to shut everything out. And we saw him really take a lot of time this weekend at Camp David in preparation for this speech. And we have an excerpt of what he is preparing to say that the White House provided to U.S. based on his prepared remarks.

He's expected to say: "My lifetime has taught me to embrace freedom and democracy. Now, some other people my age see a different story, an American story of resentment, revenge and retribution. That's not me."

That defense of democracy, Geoff, at home and abroad is going to be one of the three main themes of the president's speech. He's going to remind people about January 6. He's going to remind people about the COVID pandemic that he inherited. And he's also — the other two pillars are a defense of individual freedoms, like abortion, IVF access, and then finally building upon his economic vision.

Geoff Bennett:

All right, so, Lisa, over to you.

If this speech is the starting gun of 2024, to use that phrase, how are Republicans planning to respond?

Lisa Desjardins:

That is something we have rare bipartisan agreement on, that this is essentially the opening of the 2024 presidential season.

Republicans' response will come from one of their most junior members of the U.S. Senate, 42-year-old Katie Britt of Alabama. Now, speaking to her office, they believe that one thing that Britt brings to the table tonight is the fact she's a working mom.

They told me that her theme will be the idea that Republicans, that their party is the party of families and children. They will push that forward. And another thing that Katie Britt plans to do, she says she sees her speech as the closing prosecution of the case that Joe Biden failed as president.

It seems to me she's not going to talk so much about Donald Trump, but instead her job, which is a classic job for the response, will be to take on Joe Biden's policy, specifically kitchen table issues they want to talk about, inflation, prices, those kinds of things.

But immigration certainly will come up as well. This will be a big test for her, but her office says that she's a meticulous prepper and that they're not fazed, even though they know it's an awkward format.

One other thing we're watching for from Republicans tonight, though, Geoff, is, will there be outbursts in the chamber? House Speaker Mike Johnson has asked his Republicans not to have outbursts. However, as we well know, he does not govern their individual decisions.

Geoff Bennett:

Well, the president is the primary focus tonight, but we should also say that members of Congress each get one ticket to give out to a guest who can join inside the chamber.

I know you have reached out to nearly every House office. What do these guests tell us about the members of Congress and their priorities?

Lisa Desjardins:

That's right.

In this time where national politics just seems so stratified, we now see kind of decentralized politics, and local politics matter more than ever. These members have a lot at stake tonight in the messages that they convey to their constituents.

So I saw some trends overall, a lot of guests having to do with health care, on the Republican side, some having to do with crime and veterans issues. But we found three guests that we thought were interesting, that we wanted to highlight their stories who are here tonight.

One is an IVF doctor, another someone who has received some rare disease treatment. But, first, as I — as you listen to these members who are here tonight from all of the United States, I want to bring the voice of a woman who was there on the — at the Selma march, Bloody Sunday. She was 9 years old.

That anniversary is tonight, Geoff, as you know. And she came here to talk about voting rights.

Sheyann Webb-Christburg, Civil Rights Activist:

It was when I was 9 years old, when I participated as the youngest little girl on that Bloody Sunday march, the most traumatic experience of my life.

And one of the things that's very critical as we embark upon a new election is that we continue to really push and fight, not only to vote, but to get others engaged, to become registered voters.

Dr. Pietro Bortoletto, Reproductive Endocrinologist and Director of Reproductive Surgery, Boston IVF: So earlier this week, I was actually performing IVF.

I help retrieve eggs from women who are trying to use the technology to be able to build their family. I also retrieve eggs from women who are about to undergo cancer treatment. People use IVF for different reasons. And I'm here tonight to be able to advocate for them.

Jennelle Stephenson, Gene Therapy Patient:

I'm visiting here today because I was fortunate to be a recipient of gene therapy for sickle cell anemia. And it's been post six years since my transplant. And I haven't experienced any pain or any crises related to it. And so I really just want to bring attention to the topic.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, another point of attention that you will see in the chamber tonight, Democratic women have decided to wear white. They say that's a representation of women's rights, especially reproductive rights.

Of course, that was the color of the suffragettes as well. One other thing happening tonight, Geoff, I want to relay. TikTok has barraged these members with phone calls today. Many of them shut down their phones after this appeared on the TikTok app, making anyone who wants to use that app had to call Congress or restart their phone.

And this is something that has gotten a lot of attention. But, tonight, as a result, there was a backlash from Congress in committee, passed a bill that would effectively ban TikTok. I just raised that because, as much as this speech — President Biden has so many goals that Laura's been talking about, many of these members are thinking about something else that might not come up.

Geoff Bennett:

Yes, in fact, we have a report on that later in the broadcast.

That is Lisa Desjardins and Laura Barron-Lopez.

Our thanks to you both. And we will see you later this evening.

Laura Barron-Lopez:

Thank you.