State of the Union: President Biden addresses the nation eight months before election day
President Joe Biden stood before Congress, and the Americans watching at home, to deliver the State of the Union Address on Thursday night.
The speech lasted roughly 90 minutes.
Some people consider the State of the Union to be the Super Bowl of politics.
This one took on more significance because this is an election year.
President Biden delivered his third State of the Union Address, covering a range of issues that concern Marylanders and the American people, especially with the Presidential election coming up in November.
Alabama Congresswoman Katie Britt was scheduled to give the Republican rebuttal after the president's speech.
Maryland Republican Congressman Andy Harris – who is a big critic of President Biden – was in attendance for the speech.
Security measures were tight as both chambers of Congress, the Cabinet and President Biden were all in the U.S. Capitol.
Before the speech, a representative from the White House said the president was going to accomplishments while covering a range of issues.
Some of those issues included the economy, tax cuts to help the middle class and small businesses, foreign affairs regarding the war in Israel and the war in Ukraine, as well as immigration and the crisis at the border.
President Biden took a defiantly political tone with the gridlock in Congress and addressing his predecessor and likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, ahead of what will likely be a nasty rematch in November.
While Biden did not mention Trump by name, he frequently chided "my predecessor," highlighting the unusual election that is up ahead between two presidents who have had pursued extremely different agendas.
But despite House Speaker Mike Johnson's pleas for decorum, there were still disruptions from Republicans. Mr. Biden veered off script when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said "say her name" about Laken Riley, the Georgia student who was murdered and an undocumented man is the suspect in her death. He held up a button with Riley's name. Several other disruptors were removed from the chamber.
In a sign of the White House's emphasis that democracy will be on the ballot in November, Mr. Biden kicked off the speech by pointing to other "unprecedented" times the State of Union was delivered, comparing the moment to Franklin Roosevelt's speech in Jan. 1941 when "Hitler was on the march" in Europe.
"History is watching," he said, urging Congress to "stand up" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He then transitioned into discussing the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, saying "history will be watching."
Biden also highlighted passing an immigration bill and pushed ahead that Democrats are protecting reproductive rights. Among first lady Jill Biden's guests were Latorya Beasley, an Alabama woman whose IVF treatment was halted among the state Supreme Court decision, and Kate Cox, who had to leave Texas to receive an abortion after carrying a fetus with what doctors said was a fatal condition.
Congressman Andy Harris shared his thoughts on the president's expected comments on immigration.
"Well, unfortunately, Mr. Biden is going to turn it into an attempt to turn it into a partisan issue and blame Republicans for not solving the border crisis," Harris said. "On its face of the fact of the matter is that you're absolutely right, the top issue for Americans across the country now is the illegal immigration cost of across the wide-open Southern border, which is occurring under the same statutory conditions that President Trump functioned under. Why is that important? Because the president is going to insist that somehow he would need Congress to take action to change the law and order to control the Southern border, something that Americans just won't buy because they saw President Trump control the Southern border under the same legal framework."
Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who is running for U.S. Senate, released this statement:
"Marylanders know that the State of our Union is dangerously divided and off track. Washington continues to fail to address the ongoing crisis at our Southern Border and families are continuing to suffer from the costs of inflation and crime.
"None of these pressing challenges can be solved by one party alone or the same kind of typical partisan politicians. It's time to send a message to Washington: we are completely fed up with politics-as-usual and demanding change."
CBS News contributed to this story.
