Biden to make 1st State of the Union address Tuesday
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Joe Biden will deliver his first of the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday.
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said while domestic economic issues like inflation and the pandemic will remain a top priority in the president’s speech, Biden will also address the crisis in Ukraine.
Jean-Pierre said the president would use his platform to show the U.S. and its allies are united behind Ukraine. The speech will also highlight the president’s efforts to try and isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We have to stand for democracy,” said Jean-Pierre. “We are sending a very loud message to President Putin.”
The U.S. and European allies have recently issued increasingly harsh sanctions against Russia’s central banking system and deployed billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA, says Biden should showcase his efforts in addressing the Ukraine crisis.
“America is back in terms of our international leadership,” said Warner. “The fact the coalition he has built — not just European nations but countries like Japan, Korea and Taiwan — I think he needs to address it.”
Some Republicans in Congress say the Biden administration must go further. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, said sanctions might not be enough to deter Putin and urged the president to increase military spending on the Senate floor.
The White House has not announced plans for additional military spending but is calling on Congress to pass a multi-billion dollar security package for Ukraine.