Joe Biden addresses the country in his second SOTU

BY NINA SYDORYK ’25 STAFF WRITER

On Feb.7., at 7 p.m., President Joe Biden went before the United States House of Representatives to deliver the annual State of the Union address.

A tradition that dates back to the first American president, George Washington, the State of the Union is given by the President of the United States about the current condition of the nation. The speech usually outlines the accomplishments of their administration, the challenges they face and their hopes for the future.

The 2023 SOTU comes halfway through Biden’s first term in the White House, with the 2024 election rapidly approaching.

With a term that began in the midst of a global pandemic that brought a severe economic downturn that affected millions, the Biden administration built a campaign around COVID-19 resolutions and a plan for economic recovery. This in large part was due to the American Rescue Plan, a 1.9 trillion dollar relief bill that included mounting a national vaccination program, containing COVID-19, and safely reopening

Congress on March 11, 2021.

Mounting tensions rising in the country regarding social and human rights issues have proved a challenge for the Biden presidency, as well as the Democratic party as a whole. Concerns about racism, police brutality, legislation affecting LGBTQ+ people and the recent overturn of Roe V. Wade, have escalated as the Biden administration’s hopes about bipartisanship have fallen in the face of an ever-growing chasm of disagreement.

On the day of the SOTU, Biden’s official Twitter account posted,“Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it,” a quote from the speech.

Further, during the speech, the President said, “Let’s also pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.”

The recent 2022 midterm elections resulted in the Republican Party (GOP) holding majority control of the House and the Democrats retaining control of the Senate. This party division seems to be a greater one than ever before.

With his party’s candidacy for 2024 still unclear, the President spoke optimistically for almost 80 minutes.

Despite the positive tone, the reality of American politics was clear, as hecklers and other disturbances from the crowd interrupted Biden on numerous occasions throughout the night.

Partly in response to the debate on Social Security, which persists despite the GOP being adamant that they will not push for the cut of benefits, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled out ‘liar’ upon the President’s mention of the topic.

In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Evelyn Fleming ’26 stated that, in her opinion, the presence of these disturbances was “one

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 u