State of the Union - live: Biden addresses US amid poor approval rating as Huckabee Sanders gives GOP response

President Joe Biden will deliver his annual State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday. The president is expected to highlight the policy and legislative successes of his administration’s first two years, and to make an implicit campaign pitch as Mr Biden weighs whether to launch another run for the White House in 2024.

Despite Mr Biden’s success during the 2022 midterm elections – where Democrats actually picked up a seat in the Senate and staved off a red wave in the House of Representatives – polls continue to show the nation is ready less than excited about the prospect of another term for the incumbent.

The president will also likely tout the recent positive economic news following stronger-than-expected job growth in January, as well as moderating inflation. National Economic Director Brian Deese told reporters that Mr Biden will highlight his economic policies as an “area of contrast” with the GOP.

Key Points

• What time is Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and where can I watch?

• Who is attending this year’s State of the Union address?

• Biden aims to sway skeptical nation as polls show him under water

Joe Biden to revive plan for billionaire tax in State of the Union address

10:30 , Joe Sommerlad

According to The Financial Times, the president “will take aim at Wall Street and corporate America” in his address this evening by reviving plans for a tax on billionaires and by calling on Congress to quadruple the 1 per cent excise tax on share buybacks introduced as part of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Citing a White House preview of the economic arguments within Mr Biden’s speech, the newspaper reports that, as expected, he will champion the climbdown in inflation and the strength of the labour market while also calling for deficit reduction “through additional reforms to ensure the wealthy and largest corporations pay their fair share”.

His ambitions for higher taxes on high-income households did not receive total support when Democrats held both houses of Congress and is likely to face even more vehement opposition with the Republicans claiming a majority in the lower chamber since the midterms.

“Fiscal policy will be a crucial political battleground over the next few months as Biden tries to secure an increase in the US debt limit from congressional Republicans to avoid a damaging default on America’s financial obligations,” the FT explains.

The GOP is likely to prefer spending cuts to allow for the raise in the borrowing limit but the president clearly favours asking major corporations and the wealthy to share a greater proportion of the burden, an argument the business world is not likely to be so keen on.

MAGA Republicans deride Biden over Capitol fences ahead of State of the Union

10:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, two of the most outspoken members of the GOP, have taken to social media to attack President Biden after security barriers were erected around the US Capitol on Sunday evening in preparation for his State of the Union address tonight.

“Joe Biden is more afraid of Americans visiting their Capitol than a Chinese Spy Balloon invading our air space that could have carried God only knows what,” the conspiracy-minded Georgia representative wrote, striking a distinctly Trumpian note by arguing that basic security measures prove that “walls work on the ground”.

Also channeling Mr Trump with a very old attack line, Ms Boebert suggested the barriers were in place “to ensure Biden doesn’t wander off”. Ho ho.

ICYMI: What time is Joe Biden’s State of the Union address and where can I watch?

09:17 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union (SOTU) address will take place before a joint session of Congress on the evening of Tuesday 7 February, presenting him with a fresh opportunity to lay out the key issues facing the nation and frame the 2024 presidential race in his own terms.

Mr Biden’s latest SOTU speech will be his first since the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives after November’s midterms and it remains to be seen how receptive GOP members will be to what he has to say, with the prospect of performative boredom, hostility and booing distinctly likely.

An experienced speechmaker, the president is unlikely to be intimidated either way.

He will be flanked, as is customary, by the new House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, and his vice president, Kamala Harris, as he delivers his address to the assembled members of the House and Senate, with family, friends and specially invited guests looking down from the balcony of the lower chamber.

RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of the late Tyre Nichols, and Brandon Tsay, the hero of the Monterey Park mass shooting, will be among their number this year.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

How to watch Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

What will Joe Biden tell the nation after a bruising midterm season?

08:17 , Josh Marcus

Look for new faces and fresh political dynamics as President Joe Biden delivers this year’s State of the Union address, coupled with attention to some old problems brought back into painful focus by recent events.

The president on Tuesday night will stand before a joint session of Congress for the first time since voters in the midterm elections handed control of the House to Republicans. Biden, like presidents past, will make the case that the nation is strong and that better days lie ahead. But he finds himself in choppy waters as he passes the halfway mark of his term.

After a series of legislative victories during the first two years of Biden’s term, Republicans are looking to undo some of his early wins. Recent mass shootings and a police killing in Memphis, Tennessee, have brought renewed focus to the issues of gun violence and excessive police force. And on the foreign policy front, Biden faces the formidable task of keeping a Western alliance — and the American electorate — united behind Ukraine in its effort to repel Russia’s ongoing invasion. He’s also dealing with fallout from the U.S. downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon that floated across the U.S. last week. On top of all that, a special counsel is investigating how classified information from Biden’s days as vice president and senator ended up at his Delaware home and former office.

Aamer Madhani and Colleen Long report.

What to Watch: New political vibes this State of the Union

Flashback: The famous ‘You lie!’ heckler during Obama’s State of the Union

07:17 , Josh Marcus

Perhaps the most famous State of the Union moment in recent memory was not a stirring speech from a president, but a heckle shouted from the crowd.

In 2009, as Barack Obama outlined his immigration plans, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina stood up and shouted, “You lie!” at the president, a shocking breach of Washington decorum.

You can watch the exchange here.

Rep Wilson is still in Congress, and he’s still giving Democratic presidents a hard time.

On Saturday, he called on Joe Biden to resign over the Chinese spy balloon incident.

Looking back on the most famous State of the Union moments

06:17 , Josh Marcus

The State of the Union is one of the most choreographed events in American politics. We all know the drill: The president walks down the House chamber, shakes a lot of hands, takes his place in front of the vice president and the speaker of the House, and delivers a carefully prepared speech. Overall, it’s a pretty staid affair.

But some moments have stood out. Every once in a long while (or more often in the Trump years), something happens that is so bizarre, unscripted, or just uncomfortable, that it manages to break through the tedium and become memorable.

Below, starting with the most recent, are some of those moments, including Lauren Boebert’s infamous booing.

Nathan Place and Gustaf Kilander report.

The seven most bizarre SOTU moments over the years

Are new Republican rules in Congress putting the State of the Union at risk?

05:17 , Josh Marcus

A group of 14 House Democrats are voicing fears that House Republicans’ reversal of security rules enacted after the January 6 attack could allow one of their Republican colleagues to threaten the life of President Joe Biden or other attendees in the House chamber during next week’s State of the Union speech.

Mr Biden is set to deliver his annual message to Congress on Tuesday, 7 February. It will be his second State of the Union speech to Congress and his first since Republicans took control of the House by winning a majority in last year’s midterm elections.

One of the first acts of the new GOP majority was to eliminate the magnetometers that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered US Capitol Police to erect at each entrance to the House chamber in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Although members have always technically been prohibited from wearing firearms in the chamber, some claimed to have had their weapons on their person during the attack.

More details in our full story.

House Democrats fear GOP members could endanger Biden at State of the Union

Biden looks to score points on the economy in SOTU address

04:17 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden will use his second State of the Union address on Tuesday to remind Americans of how their lives have been improved over his first two years in office, as he tries to confront pessimism in the country and navigate the tricky politics of a newly divided Washington.

Rather than laying out major new policy proposals, Biden was expected to devote much of his speech to highlighting his efforts over the past two years to create jobs, fight inflation and improve the nation’s infrastructure. The speech comes as Biden is honing his pitch to voters ahead of his expected announcement in the next few months that he will seek another term in office despite voter frustrations about the direction of the nation.

“Next week, I’ll be reporting on the state of the Union,” Biden said Friday after a stronger-than-expected jobs report that saw the unemployment rate drop to the lowest level in more than 53 years. “But today, I’m happy to report that the state of the Union and the state of our economy is strong.”

Zeke Miller and Seung Min Kim report.

Biden's State of the Union to tout policy wins on economy

What is the State of the Union address?

03:17 , Josh Marcus

The 2023 State of the Union address will take place on Tuesday, 7 February.

It is the constitutionally-mandated annual message delivered to a joint session of Congress by the president of the United States.

In this year’s address, Joe Biden is expected to talk about important issues facing Americans and will offer solutions and suggestions for new policies.

It will be Mr Biden’s second State of the Union speech, which could serve as a platform for his 2024 campaign for re-election.

Get the full story from Independent TV.

What is the State of the Union address?

The most important guests at this year’s State of the Union

02:17 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address on Tuesday 7 February – his first since the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives after November’s midterms.

Mr Biden’s speech will take place at 9pm EST (2am GMT) and will be carried live across the major American news networks. It marks the unofficial start of the 2024 presidential campaign, with the Democrat discussing key areas of public concern, from police reform and the economy to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Among the parties already invited to attend this year’s event include RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, the mother and stepfather of Tyre Nichols, and Brandon Tsay, the hero of the Monterey Park mass shooting.

Here’s a guide to everyone confirmed so far.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Who is attending this year’s State of the Union address?

What surprises does SOTU have in store?

01:17 , Josh Marcus

This year’s State of the Union Address will be very different from the last in more ways than one. Personifying the new era of divided government, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) will be sitting behind President Biden’s left shoulder next to Vice President Kamala Harris. But even with the new backdrop and looming headaches, Joe Biden appears to be feeling good about where he stands. So good, in fact, his sights are already set on how he can lock in term number two.

Tomorrow, President Biden will deliver a State of the Union that will serve as a platform and messaging framework for his 2024 campaign, which we expect to be announced in the coming weeks. Biden will seek to frame the 2024 debate on his own terms, and outline not only what he’s for and against, but also tout what he’s already done.

This speech comes amid the new narrow House Republican majority, whose newly empowered extremist members have wasted no time in causing chaos. Biden is currently facing obstructionism on the debt ceiling and incoming House investigations into his administration and family. There is also the new Special Counsel probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents. It’s important to note that both former Vice President Mike Pence’s and President Biden’s cases are distinctly different from Donald Trump’s case, which is a criminal obstruction probe. Nonetheless, no president likes being under investigation by a Special Counsel. In spite of those headwinds, and some concerns about his age, the President feels the political wind is at his back.

Ahmed Baba unpacks what to expect in his column for Independent Voices.

Why this year’s State of the Union will be so different

Joe Biden may defend administration’s racial justice record at SOTU

00:17 , Josh Marcus

As Joe Biden reflects on another year in office, racial justice will be a topic that’s surely on his mind, following the uproar over the police killing of Tyre Nichols.

As The Independent has reported, observers say Mr Biden has a mixed record at best on key questions like civil rights and police reform.

Why Joe Biden has been a ‘consistently inconsistent’ ally for civil rights so far

All the details you need to know about tomorrow’s State of the Union address

Monday 6 February 2023 23:17 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden’s second State of the Union (SOTU) address will take place before a joint session of Congress on the evening of Tuesday 7 February, presenting him with a fresh opportunity to lay out the key issues facing the nation and frame the 2024 presidential race in his own terms.

Mr Biden’s latest SOTU speech will be his first since the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives after November’s midterms and it remains to be seen how receptive GOP members will be to what he has to say, with the prospect of performative boredom, hostility and booing distinctly likely.

An experienced speechmaker, the president is unlikely to be intimidated either way.

He will be flanked, as is customary, by the new House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, and his vice president, Kamala Harris, as he delivers his address to the assembled members of the House and Senate, with family, friends and specially invited guests looking down from the balcony of the lower chamber.

Joe Sommerland has the story.

How to watch Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

Biden aims to sway a sceptical nation at State of the Union as polls show him under water

Monday 6 February 2023 22:17 , Andrew Feinberg

When President Joe Biden delivers his second State of the Union address to a packed House of Representatives chamber on Tuesday, it will be his last chance to sell his message — and his imminent candidacy for reelection — to an American public that has proven stubbornly immune to his charm offensives.

Although Mr Biden’s Democratic allies fared far better in last year’s midterm elections than expected of an incumbent president’s party by picking up a Senate seat and losing their House majority by just a handful of seats, the 46th president remains under water in most major opinion polls.

An ABC News / Washington Post poll of 1,003 adults taken at the end of last month showed just 42 per cent of respondents approve of his performance, with a majority of Americans — 53 per cent — saying they either “strongly” or “somewhat” disapprove of how Mr Biden has conducted himself in office.

Read more:

Biden aims to sway a sceptical nation as polls show him under water