President of the United States Joe Biden delivers the State of the Nation Address (Reuters)
United States President Joe Biden gave his second "State of the Nation" speech tonight (Wednesday).
The speech focused on trying to unite Republicans and Democrats, on US-China relations, on improving the American economy and on human rights, including dealing with the prohibition of abortion, LGBT rights and police violence against blacks.
This is Biden's biggest televised speech of the year. According to estimates, 38.2 million people watched in last year, according to Nielsen. This is the first time Biden has spoken to Congress since the midterm elections in November, in which control passed to the Republican Party.
Biden delivers the "State of the Nation" speech tonight (Photo: Reuters)
Biden opened his speech by calling for unity for Republicans and Democrats to work together for a common goal.
"We are often told that Democrats and Republicans cannot work together. But over the past two years, we have proven the cynics and the naysayers wrong," said the American president, "If we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason why we cannot work together in this new Congress. Conflict for conflict's sake, doesn't get us anywhere."
He also added that he promised to be "the president of all Americans".
Biden then addressed the United States' relationship with China.
This, in the background of the incident of the Chinese spy balloon that was found in the skies of Montana last week.
Biden said that he is ready to "work with China for American interests and to benefit the world", but added that the home countries will act to defend themselves in the event that China threatens American sovereignty.
"We are in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else,"
On the economic issue, Biden first referred to the Corona crisis, which undermined the American economy.
"My economic plan is about investing in forgotten places and people. In the midst of the economic upheaval of the last four decades," Biden said, adding that more jobs were created under his administration than under any other administration.
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"The US will defend itself in case of a Chinese threat to sovereignty", the Chinese spy balloon (Photo: Reuters)
Another topic that Biden dealt with in his speech is the extraction of information by the media companies from users with the help of social networks.
Biden said that an investigation should be carried out that prevents those companies from collecting personal data about children, ads targeted at children are prohibited and strict limitations are imposed on data collection.
He further claimed that those companies are "responsible for the experiment they conduct on our children for profit".
Also, the American President called on Congress to restore the right to terminate a pregnancy as established in the "Rowe v. Wade" trial.
He also added that a new law called the "Equality Law" should be passed, the purpose of which is to protect the rights of the LGBT community. The president also dealt with police reform, which was established after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. "I know that most police officers are good and decent people , but what happened to Tyree in Memphis happens often," the president said while referring to the death of Tyree Nichols at the hands of five police officers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Black Lives Matter demonstration (Photo: Reuters)
Biden also mentioned the price of insulin in America, saying he would limit the cost of insulin per month to $35.
"It costs pharmaceutical companies only ten doluk to produce a vial, but the 'big pharma' companies unfairly charge hundreds of dollars and make record profits."
Finally, the American president engaged in a war in Ukraine.
"We united NATO and built a global coalition.
We stood against Putin's aggression.
We stood with the Ukrainian people." He said and turned to the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, who was sitting in the hall, "She represents not only her nation, but the courage of her people.
We will stand with you however long it takes."
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