When President Joe Biden took the podium for the annual State of the Union Address, it marked the first time two women \u2013 Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi \u2013 sat on the dais for the official address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President began by addressing the elephant in the room \u2013 or at least Eastern Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He declared that the West had united in tackling Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, noting that America would join a host of nations in banning Russian aircraft from its airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[Russian President] Putin\u2019s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy,\u201d President Biden declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe thought the West and NATO wouldn\u2019t respond. And he thought he could divide us here at home. Putin was wrong. We were ready.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In both a symbolic move and a show of solidarity, the President entered the Joint Session of Congress escorted by Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (R-Indiana), a Ukrainian-American.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Outside the Capitol, a host of National Guard soldiers on high alert were stationed to provide extra security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Domestically, President Biden called on the Senate to pass voting rights legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTonight, I call on the Senate to pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act,\u201d President Biden insisted. \u201cAnd while you\u2019re at it, pass the Disclose Act so Americans can know who is funding our elections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also spelled out his goal of putting a lid on inflation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He proposed cutting the cost of childcare, noting that those living in major cities pay as much as $14,000 per child each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMiddle-class and working folks shouldn\u2019t have to pay more than 7 percent of their income to care for their young children,\u201d President Biden asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy plan would cut the cost of childcare in half for most families and help parents, including millions of women who left the workforce during the pandemic because they couldn\u2019t afford childcare,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[My plan] also includes home-and-long-term care. More affordable housing, Pre-K for 3 and 4-year-olds. All these will lower costs for families. Nobody earning less than $400,000 a year will pay an additional penny in taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President also addressed his historic Supreme Court nominee, D.C. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, urging swift confirmation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo matter whatever your ideology, we all know one of the most serious constitutional duties a president has is nominating someone to serve on the United States Supreme Court,\u201d the President declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve nominated Circuit Court of Appeals Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of our nation\u2019s top legal minds who will continue in Justice [Stephen] Breyer\u2019s legacy of excellence,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe former top litigator in private practice, a former federal public defender, from a family of public school educators and police officers. She is a consensus builder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSince she has been nominated, she has received a broad range of support including the Fraternal Order of Police and former judges supported by Democrats and Republicans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also honored Justice Breyer, urging him to stand up and \u201clet them see you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Turning his attention to the pandemic, the President said cases of Covid-19 finally are falling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThanks to the progress we have made this past year, Covid-19 need no longer control our lives,\u201d President Biden offered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know some are talking about \u2018living with Covid-19.\u2019 But tonight, I say that we will never just accept living with Covid-19.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re launching the \u2018Test to Treat\u2019 initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they\u2019re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Republicans will undoubtedly push back against the President\u2019s address, several civil rights groups applauded him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs we assess the state of the union, without question, President Biden gets high marks for supporting legislation on childcare, voting rights, maternal health, abortion access, and worker\u2019s rights,\u201d said Marcela Howell, the President, and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women\u2019s Reproductive Justice Agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut the same senators who consistently block voting rights protections also block reproductive rights protections and safety nets for working-class families. Make no mistake, the enemies of equality are determined to shut down progress at every turn,\u201d Howell stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said it\u2019s time to pass the President\u2019s Build Back Better bill and protect the lives of all who live in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is time to protect bodily autonomy and ensure all people have access to abortion services. It is time to pass a comprehensive voting rights bill that rejects the voter suppression tactics of the far right,\u201d Howell demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBlack women are even more determined to fight for our human and civil rights. We demand the right to exercise bodily autonomy, to have the resources to raise our families with dignity and to exercise our constitutional right to vote. And nothing will stop us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Howell continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBlack women are putting politicians on notice; we are holding them accountable to their oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution. It is not an easy task. We invite the country to stand and fight with us to defend human and civil rights. Join us in demanding that elected officials uphold and abide by the Constitution. We will not stop until America\u2019s promise of liberty and justice for all is our lived reality.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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