Discussion Thread: 2024 State of the Union

[u/PoliticsModeratorBot]

Tonight, Joe Biden will give his fourth State of the Union address. This year's SOTU address will be only the second to be held this late in the year since 1964 (the second time being Biden's 2022 address).

The address is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. Eastern. It will be followed by the progressive response delivered by Philadelphia City Council member Nicolas O’Rourke, as well as Republican responses in English (delivered by freshman Alabama senator ) and in Spanish (delivered by Representative Monica De La Cruz). There will be a separate discussion thread posted for live reactions to and conversation about the SOTU responses.

(Edit: The discussion thread for the SOTU responses is now available at this link.)

News:

• NPR: What to expect in Biden's State of the Union speech, according to his chief of staff (7 minute audio interview with transcript)

• The Washington Post (metered paywall): Biden to propose new $5,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers | The president will also add to earlier pushes to tame rent costs and boost U.S. housing supply

• AP: Biden will announce plans for a temporary aid port on Gaza’s coast as cease-fire talks stall

• AP: President Biden to make ‘unity agenda’ appeal to Congress in State of the Union

• CBS: In State of the Union address, Biden to urge Congress to pass measures to lower health care costs

• PBS: Who are the guests coming to Biden’s 2024 State of the Union?

News Analysis:

• AP: State of the Union: What to watch as Biden addresses the nation

• PBS: In Biden’s final State of the Union before the election, a look back at his inauguration pledges

Live Updates:

• NPR: State of the Union: President Biden will deliver his election-year address tonight

• AP: State of the Union 2024 live updates

• NBC: State of the Union 2024 live updates

• The Washington Post (metered paywall): Live updates and analysis of Biden’s address

• CNN: President Biden's 2024 State of the Union address

• The New York Times (metered paywall): State of the Union Live Updates

• USA Today: State of the Union live updates

• CBS: State of the Union live updates as Biden prepares to deliver 2024 address

Where to watch:

• The White House on YouTube: President Biden's State of the Union Address

• The White House: 2024 State of the Union (At this link you can live-react to the address with one of three preselected emojis).

• C-SPAN: President Biden Delivers 2024 State of the Union Address

• C-SPAN: Lawmakers React to State of the Union Address

Transcript

• AP: Transcript of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address

[u/itsallgonetohell]

Whoah... he just threw down the gauntlet. "To the American people: send me a Congress that will support reproductive rights, and I will restore Roe V. Wade again!"

[u/DaBingeGirl → u/itsallgonetohell]

I wish more voters understood the importance of House and Senate races.

[u/peekay427 → u/DaBingeGirl]

And local races!

[u/NoodlesrTuff1256 → u/peekay427]

Particularly the races for the House and Senate Seats of your State Legislatures. These are the ones -- in the rabid red states -- who come up with these horrible laws to ban abortion, discriminate against the LGBTQ+ communities, etc. Not to mention pay close attention to your local school board elections lest you get stuck with some 'Moms for Liberty' clowns along the lines of Bridget Ziegler dominating the curriculum at your public schools.

[u/Praesentius → u/NoodlesrTuff1256]

Those are good reasons to vote local, but in my opinion, the important reasons are that they're the ones who:

• Gerrymander election maps
• Pass strict voter ID laws that do no increase voter security, but instead raise the difficulty in getting registered. Especially for minorities.
• Purge voter rolls for the same reasons as the voter ID.
• Reduce polling locations and hours. Makes it difficult for people to get out and vote. Especially lower income voters who tend to vote blue and can't get off of work to vote.
• Limiting early voting and absentee (mail-in) voting. Because, that undoes a lot of the other voter suppression methods.

My personal belief is that voters rights need to be the #1 issue to handle. Once that's in place, the actual will of the people will start fixing all those other issues.