Full video of the speech as published by theWhite House | |
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| Date | April 28, 2021 (2021-04-28) |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 p.m.EDT |
| Duration | 1 hour, 5 minutes |
| Venue | House Chamber,United States Capitol |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′19.8″N77°00′32.8″W / 38.888833°N 77.009111°W /38.888833; -77.009111 |
| Type | UnofficialState of the Union Address |
| Participants | Joe Biden Kamala Harris Nancy Pelosi |
| Footage | C-SPAN |
| Previous | 2020 State of the Union Address |
| Next | 2022 State of the Union Address |
| Website | Full text by Archives.gov |
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Joe Biden, the 46thpresident of the United States, addressed ajoint session of the United States Congress on April 28, 2021, the eve of his100th day in office. It was his first public address before a joint session.[1] Like aState of the Union Address, it was delivered before the117th United States Congress in the Chamber of theHouse of Representatives in theUnited States Capitol. Presiding over this joint session was theHouse speaker,Nancy Pelosi, accompanied byKamala Harris, thevice president in her capacity as thepresident of the Senate. It was the first time in the U.S. history that two women and twoCalifornians presided over an address to Congress, seated on the rostrum behind the president.[2]
Speaker Pelosi invited Biden to address a joint session on April 13, 2021, asking him to "share [his] vision for addressing the challenges and opportunities" of the time.[2] Biden delivered his speech on the 99th day of hispresidency amidst the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic andeconomic recovery, campaign tovaccinate Americans, ratification of theAmerican Rescue Plan,Democratic efforts to advance legislation oninfrastructure,[3]guns,social justice, andvoting rights,[4]Derek Chauvin's conviction in themurder of George Floyd,[5] and plannedwithdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.[6]
The joint session was designated aNational Special Security Event due to an ongoing security threat to Congress that began withthe U.S. Capitol attack in January 2021.[1] Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,face covering requirements andsocial distancing were used to protect attendees, and members of Congress were not allowed to invite guests, breaking with tradition.[1][2] Measures were coordinated by theHouse Sergeant of Arms andAttending Physician.[7] A limited number of members of Congress were in attendance; overall, 200 people were gathered in the House Chamber.[8] Nodesignated survivor was chosen becauseCabinet members watched the address remotely.[9]
Biden's address centered on his plans to expand the size and scope of thefederal government to createblue-collar jobs, raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, reduceeconomic inequality, and invest inearly childhood education,community colleges, infrastructure, research, and technology in the fight againstclimate change.[10] He cited the COVID-19 economic recovery and vaccination campaign as successes during his first 100 days in office.
Biden used the word "jobs" 43 times during the speech.[10] He proposed the American Families Plan, aUS$1.8 trillion package that includes new spending on child care, education, andpaid leave.[11] He asserted that autocratic adversaries, such asChinese Communist Party leaderXi Jinping, see political divisiveness among Americans as "proof that the sun is setting on American democracy" and that America is "too riven by hostility to effectively govern."[10] On racial justice, he declared that Congress should pass theGeorge Floyd Justice in Policing Act, to eliminatesystemic racism in housing, education and public health.[10] Biden declared that the "forever war in Afghanistan" will end with the withdrawal of U.S. forces.[10]
RepublicanSenatorTim Scott delivered the party's formalrebuttal to Biden's joint address to Congress.[12]
Rep.Jamaal Bowman delivered the progressive response to Biden's joint address to Congress.[13]
Biden's speech, total cable and network viewers
| Network | Viewers |
|---|---|
| ABC | 4,025,000 |
| MSNBC | 3,941,000 |
| NBC | 3,542,000 |
| CBS | 3,367,000 |
| CNN | 3,180,000 |
| FNC | 2,920,000 |
| Fox | 1,630,000 |
Scott's response, total cable and network viewers
| Network | Viewers |
|---|---|
| FNC | 3,197,000 |
| ABC | 2,897,000 |
| MSNBC | 2,725,000 |
| NBC | 2,469,000 |
| CBS | 2,311,000 |
| CNN | 2,080,000 |
Broadcast networks Cable news networks
| Preceded by | State of the Union addresses 2021 joint session speech | Succeeded by |
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