House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) penned a letter to President Joe Biden, asking him to deliver the State of the Union address to Congress.
“Thank you for your bold vision and patriotic leadership which have guided America out of crisis and into an era of great progress, as we not only recover from the pandemic but Build Back Better! Indeed, this past year has been historic: with the life-saving American Rescue Plan, once-in-a-century Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, soon, the truly transformational Build Back Better Act!” Pelosi said in her letter.
She added, “In that spirit, I am writing to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 1, to share your vision of the State of the Union. Thank you for considering this invitation to speak to the Congress and Country.”
March 1 will mark Biden’s first State of the Union address. As The Washington Post notes, Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress in April of 2021, but it is traditionally not known as a State of the Union.
“As I stand here tonight, we are just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration,” Biden said while delivering remarks to lawmakers.
He continued, “Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength.”
Biden commented on his administration’s response to COVID-19.
“We’re vaccinating the nation. We’re creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. We’re delivering real results to people — they can see it and feel it in their own lives. Opening doors of opportunity. Guaranteeing some more fairness and justice,” he explained.
Historically, presidents have delivered the State of the Union address in January or February.