President Joe Biden’s State of the Union tackle final yr included a slew of guarantees and hints about what the president needed to perform within the yr forward.
So how did Biden reside as much as these guarantees? POLITICO dug via final yr’s speech and assessed his progress on among the main points simply earlier than he’s set to ship Thursday evening’s extremely anticipated tackle. We graded him utilizing the next scale: success, in progress, wants enchancment, fail.
Inflation and the financial system
Grade: In progress
What Biden mentioned: “I ran for president to basically change issues, to verify the financial system works for everybody so we are able to all really feel satisfaction in what we do. To construct an financial system from the underside up and the center out, not from the highest down. As a result of when the center class does effectively, the poor have a ladder up and the rich nonetheless do very effectively. All of us do effectively.”
What he’s achieved: Whereas cautiously touting financial positive factors throughout final yr’s speech — from low unemployment to declining meals inflation — the president famous that there’s “extra to do.” Since this time final yr, fuel costs have dropped, inflation has constantly ticked down and client confidence has risen in a constructive signal for Biden. The downward development continued in the newest report, although inflation cooled lower than anticipated.
The end result has been a extra constructive outlook for Individuals concerning the financial system total, and the Fed, for now, is leaving potential mid-year price cuts on the desk.
However even with all of the constructive information, excessive costs proceed to plague a majority of Individuals who say the price of groceries is just too excessive or that they will’t afford to purchase a house.
Infrastructure
Grade: Success
What Biden mentioned: “And once we do these [infrastructure] initiatives, we’re going to Purchase American. Purchase American has been the legislation of the land since 1933. However for too lengthy, previous administrations have discovered methods to get round it. Not anymore.
“Tonight, I’m additionally asserting new requirements to require all development supplies utilized in federal infrastructure initiatives to be made in America. American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables. And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways might be made with American merchandise.”
What he’s achieved: Biden trekked throughout the nation in 2023 to tout infrastructure investments, becoming a member of native and state leaders to rejoice groundbreakings at numerous new initiatives. And he adopted via on his “Purchase American” announcement: The White Home finalized steerage to spice up the usage of U.S.-made items in August after receiving almost 2,000 public feedback. The Workplace of Administration and Finances mentioned the ultimate steerage directed by Congress underneath the 2021 infrastructure legislation “will bolster American companies, staff, and financial progress.”
Local weather
Grade: In progress
What Biden mentioned: “Let’s face actuality. The local weather disaster doesn’t care in the event you’re in a pink or a blue state. It’s an existential menace. We’ve an obligation to not ourselves, however to our kids and grandchildren to confront it. I’m happy with how the — how America, ultimately, is stepping as much as the problem. We’re nonetheless going to want oil and fuel for some time, however guess what — no, we do — however there’s a lot extra to do. We bought to complete the job.”
What he’s achieved: The administration has continued to advocate for a clear power transition, pushing tax credit for electrical autos and the enlargement of EV charging stations. And local weather advocates celebrated when the White Home introduced the American Local weather Corps final fall, a local weather jobs coaching program it says might put 20,000 folks to work in its first yr. Modeled after the New Deal, folks might be engaged on initiatives reminiscent of deploying clear power, restoring land and enhancing communities’ resilience to pure disasters.
However the motion confronted hurdles, too. Only a month after final yr’s speech, Biden accredited the huge and controversial Willow Venture, a drilling undertaking in Alaska that advocates warned threatened his local weather agenda. The nation additionally confronted numerous environmental catastrophes final yr, from devastating tropical storms to a lethal wildfire that ravaged Maui. Local weather teams pleaded with Biden to declare a local weather emergency, calls he has to date resisted.
Affordability — from baby care to staff rights
Grade: In progress
What Biden mentioned: “My administration can be taking up junk charges, these hidden surcharges too many firms use to make you pay extra. … For instance, I ought to have recognized this, however I didn’t till two years in the past: Thirty million staff need to signal non-compete agreements for the roles they take. Thirty million. … We’re banning these agreements so firms need to compete for staff and pay them what they’re value.”
“I’m so sick and uninterested in firms breaking the legislation by stopping staff from organizing. Go the PRO Act! As a result of companies have a proper — staff have a proper to kind a union. And let’s assure all staff have a dwelling wage. Let’s be certain that working mother and father can afford to boost a household with sick days, paid household and medical go away, inexpensive childcare. …. And let’s restore the total Little one Tax Credit score — which gave tens of thousands and thousands of oldsters some respiratory room and lower baby poverty in half to the bottom degree in historical past. … So let’s end the job and get extra households entry to inexpensive, high quality housing.”
What he’s achieved: This one’s a combined bag. The White Home leaned into junk charges this previous yr — a difficulty Biden officers see as a political winner — asserting numerous steps to crack down on the shock prices usually added to tickets, journey and different purchases. However on banning non-compete agreements? It’s sophisticated. The Federal Commerce Fee has proposed such a ban, however there are a number of main industries the place the company possible can’t implement it.
Whereas Biden has continued his effort to bolster his persona as probably the most “pro-union president,” the PRO Act — the pro-union laws he launched as a part of his Construct Again Higher plan — stays stalled in Congress.
As for baby care and housing, these prices proceed to pressure American households. The Home did approve a roughly $80 billion invoice earlier this yr to develop the federal baby tax credit score, although its destiny within the Senate stays unsure.
Training prices and scholar debt
Grade: In progress
What Biden mentioned: “People, everyone knows 12 years of training will not be sufficient to win the financial competitors of the twenty first century. If we need to have the best-educated workforce, let’s end the job by offering entry to preschool for three- and four-year-olds.”
“Let’s give public faculty academics a elevate. We’re making progress by decreasing scholar debt, rising Pell Grants for working and middle-class households. Let’s end the job and join college students to profession alternatives beginning in highschool, present entry to 2 years of group faculty — the perfect profession coaching in America, along with being a pathway to a four-year diploma. Let’s provide each American a path to a superb profession, whether or not they go to school or not.”
What he’s achieved: Final month, the Training Division launched new steerage for a way states, native academic companies and faculties can use Title I funds to develop entry to preschool. And the administration rolled out a brand new plan final fall that would enhance pay for 1000’s of early childhood, Head Begin, academics caring for the nation’s poorest kids. This system is dealing with main staffing shortages, however the plan might additionally lead some facilities to scale back their enrollment ranges.
Regardless of authorized challenges to his unique scholar debt plan, Biden has continued to search out methods to forgive debt for some Individuals. But it surely appears unlikely Biden will accomplish free group faculty in his first time period. He continues to push for the funding to help a decade of free group faculty, together with in his 2024 price range proposal.
Policing
Grade: Wants enchancment
What Biden mentioned: “With the help of households of victims, civil rights teams, and legislation enforcement, I signed an government order for all federal officers banning chokeholds, proscribing no-knock warrants and different key parts of the George Floyd Act.
“Let’s commit ourselves to make the phrases of [Tyre Nichols’] mom come true, one thing good should come from this. All of us on this chamber, we have to rise to this second. We will’t flip away. Let’s do what we all know in our hearts we have to do. Let’s come collectively and end the job on police reform. Do one thing.”
What he’s achieved: The president has continued to name for police reform in Congress, however bipartisan talks have did not restart since they collapsed greater than three years in the past. After Nichols’ loss of life final yr, South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, the lead negotiator for his occasion, rejected the thought of restarting talks.
Gun violence
Grade: in progress
What Biden mentioned: “That was the identical plea of oldsters who misplaced their kids in Uvalde: Do one thing on gun violence. Thank God we did, passing probably the most sweeping gun security legislation in three a long time. That features issues that almost all of accountable gun homeowners help, like enhanced background checks for 18 to 21-year-olds and pink flag legal guidelines holding weapons out of the palms of people who find themselves a hazard to themselves and others. However we all know our work will not be achieved. …”
“Ban assault weapons as soon as and for all. We did it earlier than. I led the battle to ban them in 1994. Within the 10 years the ban was legislation, mass shootings went down. After Republicans let it expire, mass shootings tripled. Let’s end the job and ban assault weapons once more.
What he’s achieved: Biden’s futile pleas for an assault weapons ban have nonetheless gone unanswered as mass shootings proceed to rattle the nation. There have been 656 mass shootings in 2023, based on the Gun Violence Archive, and firearms at the moment are the No. 1 reason for loss of life for U.S. kids.
Whereas the difficulty stays a difficult one for the nation, the president has continued to take motion from the White Home. Final yr, he launched the first-ever Workplace of Gun Violence Prevention, tapping specialists and Vice President Kamala Harris to drive ahead the work. The brand new workplace has coordinated new coverage strikes throughout the federal authorities, whereas working to implement the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The White Home workforce is exploring new inventive methods to fight gun violence, whereas additionally coordinating the federal response when technique strikes a group.
Immigration
Grade: Fail
What Biden mentioned: “And let’s additionally come collectively on immigration and make it a bipartisan situation prefer it was earlier than. We now have a report variety of personnel working to safe the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 kilos of fentanyl in simply the final a number of months.
“Since we launched our new border plan final month, illegal migration from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has come down 97 %. However America’s border issues gained’t be fastened till Congress acts. For those who gained’t go my complete immigration reform, a minimum of go my plan to offer the tools and officers to safe the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, these on non permanent standing, farm staff, and important staff.”
What he’s achieved: The border has continued to be a tough patch for the president, and the collapse of the bipartisan border deal final month dashed hopes of any incoming aid. As a final resort, Biden officers are weighing numerous government actions to attempt to clamp down on unlawful border crossings, however with out extra funding and sources from Congress, implementation might be difficult.
The parole program Biden touted throughout final yr’s State of the Union for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans was a brilliant spot for his administration. However its success has been overshadowed by an inundated southern border, forcing the White Home to ramp up assaults on Republicans because the messaging battle heats up in 2024.
And whereas the administration continues to battle to protect the Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals coverage in courtroom, there’s been little hope of a pathway from Dreamers.
LGBTQ+ rights
Grade: Success
What Biden mentioned: “Let’s additionally go the bipartisan Equality Act to make sure LGBTQ Individuals, particularly transgender younger folks, can reside with security and dignity.”
What he’s achieved: The Equality Act by no means got here to a vote within the Senate, however the president has repeatedly made an effort to precise his dedication to defending LGBTQ+ rights. He amplified the difficulty with a Pleasure celebration on the White Home final yr, throughout which he vowed to guard the rights of LGBTQ+ Individuals amid a string of GOP-led state payments and legal guidelines concentrating on the group. And he’s ramped up his rhetoric condemning assaults in opposition to trans youth.
He additionally introduced a collection of actions final yr to guard the rights of the group, together with efforts to guard LGBTQ+ foster youth, enhance entry to psychological well being providers and to fight the rise in hate-fueled violence.
Social media
Grade: Fail
What Biden mentioned: “We should lastly maintain social media firms accountable for the experiment they’re operating on our kids for revenue.
“And it’s time to go bipartisan laws to cease Large Tech from accumulating private knowledge on children and youngsters on-line, ban focused promoting to kids, and impose stricter limits on the private knowledge these firms gather on all of us.”
What he’s achieved: Whereas Biden known as for a bipartisan effort on the Hill, Congress has made little progress on the difficulty. The issue has united lawmakers on each side of the aisle and led members to introduce numerous payments, together with the Children On-line Security Act earlier this yr.
That particular laws has gained help from numerous kids’s teams and medical associations, however some civil rights teams have expressed opposition to the invoice, warning that its obscure language might threaten free speech.
Ukraine
Grade: IN PROGRESS
What Biden mentioned: “Tonight, we’re as soon as once more joined by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US. She represents not simply her nation, however the braveness of her folks. Ambassador, America is united in our help on your nation. We are going to stand with you so long as it takes. Our nation is working for extra freedom, extra dignity, and extra peace, not simply in Europe, however in every single place.”
What he’s achieved: Whereas Biden has been steadfast in his help for Ukraine, rising opposition amongst some Republicans in Congress has threatened continued funding for the U.S. ally in its struggle with Russia.
Now greater than two years because the Russian invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that with out extra U.S. support, “thousands and thousands might be killed.” The White Home has continued to press members of Congress to again extra funding.
Including to the president’s overseas coverage challenges is the struggle in Gaza. Since Hamas’ assault on Oct. 7, greater than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s response. The administration is pushing for a ceasefire as a part of a hostage deal earlier than the holy month of Ramadan begins on March 10.
Well being care
Final yr’s speech hit on numerous key subjects for the president. He spoke about combating for abortion rights and restoring entry for as many individuals doable after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. He promised to finish Covid, and he aimed to show again an increase in deadly overdoses that had occurred through the pandemic.
To find out about these and lots of different well being care areas, head over to our well being care workforce’s thorough breakdown, the place our reporters element and consider the president’s progress on every situation.