Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


America 'Ready for Takeoff,' Biden Tells Congress

Steve Herman

   WASHINGTON - "After 100 days of rescue and renewal, America is ready
   for takeoff," U.S. President Joe Biden told a joint session of
   Congress, using the occasion to push his proposed $4 trillionin
   government spendingand tout his overall performance in copingwith a
   series ofhistoriccrises since taking office in January.

   The president, in an address on Wednesday evening, said he hadinherited
   a nation in crisisfacing theworst pandemic in a century, theworst
   economic crisis since the Great Depressionand "theworst attack on our
   democracy since the Civil War."

   The addresson the eve of his 100thday in office,wasnot deemed a 'State
   of the Union'presentation because it was delivered in the first year of
   a new president's term. Itwasalsoshorn of some of the typical pompof
   the annual presidential speech to both the House and Senatebecause of
   coronavirus restrictions.

   Typically,as many as 1,600 people packed the House chamber to attend a
   presidential speech.Only 200 people, mostly members of Congress joined
   by a small number of officials from other government branches plus
   select family members, attended.They were socially distanced in the
   House chamber and wore masks.
   U.S. President Joe Biden arrives to deliver his first address to a
   joint session of the U.S. Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington,
   April 29, 2021.

   Biden spoke from the same dais that insurrectionists overtook on
   January 6whensupporters of'¯his predecessor,'¯Donald Trump,'¯stormed
   past lawenforcement officersinto theU.S.Capitolto try to block the
   official certification of Biden as thewinner of last
   November'spresidentialelection overthe incumbent.

   The attack on the Capitol, which remains heavily guarded,left five
   people dead. More than 400 peoplehave beenarrested on various
   chargesrelated to the siege.'¯

   "The image of a violent mob assaulting this Capitol, desecrating our
   democracy,remains vivid in all our minds," said Biden. "Lives were put
   at risk, many of your lives. Lives were lost. Extraordinary courage was
   summoned."

   The president said the insurrection was "an existential crisis, a test
   of whether our democracy could survive--and it did."

   Biden devoted the bulk of his 65-minute address to domestic policy
   issues,althoughhe did mention matters beyond America's borders.

   The president saidhe told Chinese President Xi Jinping that the United
   States will maintain a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific
   "just as we do for NATO in Europe -- not to start conflict -- but to
   prevent one."

   Biden said he had respondedproportionallyto Russia's interferencein
   U.S.electionsandthecyber-attacksit launched ongovernmentandbusiness.
   That does not howeverprevent,according to the president,
   potentialcooperation between Washington and Moscowon nuclear
   armsreduction and combatting climate change.

   During the address,Biden'¯proposed'¯a$1.8 trillionexpansion of national
   government assistance for American children and families.
   U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his first address to a joint session
   of the U.S. Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, April 29, 2021.

   The plan'¯features'¯two years of government-paid, pre-kindergarten
   education for the country's youths and two years of free community
   college for young adults, all of it'¯to be'¯paid for with higher taxes
   on the country's wealthiest peopleand corporations.'¯

   Massive spending for infrastructure, jobs creationand education is
   justified because"China and other countries are closing in fast," said
   the president.

   Such spending, ifapproved by Congress, would usher in a much bigger
   national government footprint in American life, way more than most
   Republican lawmakers would like'¯but'¯wouldnot go as far as some
   progressive Democrats envision.'¯'¯

   In remarks directed to the audience of millions at home, Biden said
   hisAmerican Jobs Planis "a blue-collar blueprint to build America" with
   millions of "good-paying jobs that can't be outsourced."

   Republicans contend his infrastructure and family spending plans are
   too costly and assailBiden's plans to raise taxes on corporations and
   the wealthiest of Americans.

   Delivering theopposition party'stelevised rebuttal,the only Black
   Republican in theSenate,Tim Scottof SouthCarolina,said Biden had
   inherited from Trump "a tide that already turned" due to
   thepreviousadministration's operation tolaunch vaccine production and
   economic policies that were the most inclusive in decades.

   "Apresident who promised to bring us together should not push agendas
   that tear us apart," added Scott.

   In a statement, one of Scott's Republican colleagues in the Senate, Ted
   Cruzof Texaswas more critical of Biden's address, saying it
   outlined"his socialist vision for our country," and that "I can
   summarize his speech in three words for you: boring, but radical."

   National surveys this week show Biden with an average approval rating
   of'¯53%, according to a polling aggregator, Real Clear Politics.'¯

   In his speech, Bidenalsotoutedhisadministration'searly success in
   getting Americans vaccinated against the coronavirus, with more than
   200 million shots already administered even as the death toll has risen
   to a world-leading total of more than 573,000.

   U.S. health officials eased mask-wearing suggestions this week, but
   millions of Americans are refusing, for various reasons, to
   getvaccinated, or skipping thesecond'¯'¯shot of a two-dose regimen.'¯

   "Go and get the vaccination," Biden implored in his Wednesday evening
   address.'¯

   In addition to discussing his plans for domestic spending, Biden
   discussed his goal of engaging with other nations and taking a
   leadership role on the world stage, a contrast from Trump who often
   touted his "America First" stance and withdrew from international pacts
   that he viewed as poorly crafted or too costly for the'¯United
   States.'¯

   Mentioningthe nuclear programs ofIran and North Korea, the president
   said: "We're going to be working closely with our allies to address the
   threats posed by both of these countries,throughdiplomacy as well as
   stern deterrence."

   He added that Americanleadership"means ending the forever war in
   Afghanistan."

   It remains to be seen ifBidenand congressional Democrats"are willing to
   engage in real negotiation that would result in changes to many of the
   proposals highlighted in his speech," Bipartisan Policy Center
   President JasonGrumetsaid in a statement to VOA.

   "Key Administration proposals to modernize infrastructure, provide paid
   leave, and strengthen childcare have a history of strong bipartisan
   support, but it will not be possible to build upon this history if
   theadministration pursues a legislative process that excludes
   Republicans."

.