ARTICLE
President Joe Biden seized the national spotlight as he delivered his second State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. It was given in the House of Representatives chambers, to a bipartisan crowd of Democrats and Republicans. I have watched State of the Union speeches for as long as I can remember. Most of these speeches, regardless if the President is a Democrat or Republican, became a conversation to the American people about the positive policy decisions that various administrations have made in the USA. It is not uncommon for the President to highlight a specific program or call out an individual who is the invited guest of the President or First Lady and sitting in the gallery. I will admit during the previous president’s tenure in the oval office — I turned off the TV as the commentary was disdainful. The pomp and circumstance of the evening drew cheers and boos from each side of the aisle in response to the President’s remarks. It is an interesting twist when the House of Representatives is controlled by a party opposing the sitting President. While Vice President Kamala Harris continuously stood and clapped at the President’s highlighted comments, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy mostly sat with a sober grin on his face. On a couple of occasions the Speaker rose to clap in favor of President Biden’s remarks — particularly about our military, the USA’s effort to help the Ukraine people, and on finding a common ground for police reform. The nation faces uncertainty about our global rival: China. The comments about shooting down a large balloon that was floating across the US were a signal by the President that there was no doubt following our military’s advice was a solid decision. The President said the "Made in America" slogan is aimed squarely at one particular balloon-floating country — China. "I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong," Biden said. "Investing in American innovation, in industries that will define the future, and that China's government is intent on dominating.” This was the only mention of our global rival in the 73 minute speech. What is uncanny about that comment is that in a global economy almost every manufactured product has parts from other countries. For example, car manufacturing, where hundreds of products are shipped into a USA car facility to build the vehicle. Yes, Made in America is a symbol of pride. Another example is the comments about Intel — a big tech chip manufacturer who is building a new facility in Ohio. That was the only positive comment about Big Tech: mostly the President called out the tech industry. It was one of the rare moments Tuesday that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – a Bakersfield Republican who used to take GOP members on tours of Valley companies to highlight their innovation — and the House Republican majority stood and applauded. President Biden’s references to Big Tech were part of a populist thread throughout his 73-minute speech. He railed on the usury of Big Pharma, called for billionaires to pay their fair share of taxes and demanded tougher “antitrust enforcement to prevent big online platforms from giving their own products an unfair advantage.” There is public support for tougher privacy laws. A Morning Consult survey from last June found that 87% of respondents supported banning the sale of an individual’s data to third parties without their explicit consent. A similar number supported increasing data privacy protections for children under 17. Our local Silicon Valley Congressional representatives, Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren will most likely introduce privacy legislation soon. It should be noted that whatever legislation comes out of Congress, any new law must ensure that Chinese-based companies like TikTok have to live by the same rules that American companies must follow. As most sitting Presidents do, their focused remarks are on their priorities on what they are doing to help Americans. Biden’s domestic policy agenda is about helping middle America — growing the middle class, protecting Medicare and Social Security. The president didn't call for a whole lot of new policy initiatives from the new Congress — beyond, for example, ending what he called "junk fees" in travel, entertainment and credit cards. His speech can be a sign he is gearing up for campaign mode — to "finish the job," as he said some 12 times in the speech — and that he's likely going to campaign on what he's already done by drawing a big-picture distinction between his vision for America and what the current Republicans are saying. "My economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten," Biden said. Biden went after corporate stock buybacks, oil and gas company profits, Big Pharma, "wealthy tax cheats" and billionaires. ”No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter," the president said. Once again he touted that we are going to require construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America. Campaigning for 2024 begins now for the White House, control of the Congress, and electing the next generation of Congress members and Senators. Soundbites and selective conversations around the country are now in play. The Democrats are recasting the presidential primaries by beginning the campaign for President in South Carolina instead of Iowa and New Hampshire. The Republicans are starting with Georgia as the first battle ground primary state. Sit back and watch the process begin.
President Joe Biden seized the national spotlight as he delivered his second State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. It was given in the House of Representatives chambers, to a bipartisan crowd of Democrats and Republicans. I have watched State of the Union speeches for as long as I can remember. Most of these speeches, regardless if the President is a Democrat or Republican, became a conversation to the American people about the positive policy decisions that various administrations have made in the USA. It is not uncommon for the President to highlight a specific program or call out an individual who is the invited guest of the President or First Lady and sitting in the gallery. I will admit during the previous president’s tenure in the oval office — I turned off the TV as the commentary was disdainful.
The pomp and circumstance of the evening drew cheers and boos from each side of the aisle in response to the President’s remarks. It is an interesting twist when the House of Representatives is controlled by a party opposing the sitting President. While Vice President Kamala Harris continuously stood and clapped at the President’s highlighted comments, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy mostly sat with a sober grin on his face. On a couple of occasions the Speaker rose to clap in favor of President Biden’s remarks — particularly about our military, the USA’s effort to help the Ukraine people, and on finding a common ground for police reform.
The nation faces uncertainty about our global rival: China. The comments about shooting down a large balloon that was floating across the US were a signal by the President that there was no doubt following our military’s advice was a solid decision. The President said the "Made in America" slogan is aimed squarely at one particular balloon-floating country — China.
"I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong," Biden said. "Investing in American innovation, in industries that will define the future, and that China's government is intent on dominating.” This was the only mention of our global rival in the 73 minute speech.
What is uncanny about that comment is that in a global economy almost every manufactured product has parts from other countries. For example, car manufacturing, where hundreds of products are shipped into a USA car facility to build the vehicle.
Yes, Made in America is a symbol of pride. Another example is the comments about Intel — a big tech chip manufacturer who is building a new facility in Ohio. That was the only positive comment about Big Tech: mostly the President called out the tech industry. It was one of the rare moments Tuesday that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – a Bakersfield Republican who used to take GOP members on tours of Valley companies to highlight their innovation — and the House Republican majority stood and applauded.
President Biden’s references to Big Tech were part of a populist thread throughout his 73-minute speech. He railed on the usury of Big Pharma, called for billionaires to pay their fair share of taxes and demanded tougher “antitrust enforcement to prevent big online platforms from giving their own products an unfair advantage.” There is public support for tougher privacy laws. A Morning Consult survey from last June found that 87% of respondents supported banning the sale of an individual’s data to third parties without their explicit consent. A similar number supported increasing data privacy protections for children under 17. Our local Silicon Valley Congressional representatives, Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren will most likely introduce privacy legislation soon. It should be noted that whatever legislation comes out of Congress, any new law must ensure that Chinese-based companies like TikTok have to live by the same rules that American companies must follow.
As most sitting Presidents do, their focused remarks are on their priorities on what they are doing to help Americans. Biden’s domestic policy agenda is about helping middle America — growing the middle class, protecting Medicare and Social Security. The president didn't call for a whole lot of new policy initiatives from the new Congress — beyond, for example, ending what he called "junk fees" in travel, entertainment and credit cards.
His speech can be a sign he is gearing up for campaign mode — to "finish the job," as he said some 12 times in the speech — and that he's likely going to campaign on what he's already done by drawing a big-picture distinction between his vision for America and what the current Republicans are saying. "My economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten," Biden said.
Biden went after corporate stock buybacks, oil and gas company profits, Big Pharma, "wealthy tax cheats" and billionaires. ”No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a school teacher or a firefighter," the president said. Once again he touted that we are going to require construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America.
Campaigning for 2024 begins now for the White House, control of the Congress, and electing the next generation of Congress members and Senators. Soundbites and selective conversations around the country are now in play. The Democrats are recasting the presidential primaries by beginning the campaign for President in South Carolina instead of Iowa and New Hampshire. The Republicans are starting with Georgia as the first battle ground primary state.
Sit back and watch the process begin.