President Biden discussed economic recovery, abortion access and the Equality Act during his State of the Union address. Photo courtesy of David Maiolo via Wikimedia Commons.
By Nina Sydoryk ’25
Staff Writer
On Feb.7., at 7 p.m., President Joe Biden went before the United States House of Representatives to deliver the annual State of the Union (SOTU) address.
A tradition that dates back to the first American president, George Washington, the State of the Union is given by the President of the United States about the current condition of the nation. The speech usually outlines the accomplishments of their administration, the challenges they face and their hopes for the future.
The 2023 SOTU comes halfway through Biden’s first term in the White House, with the 2024 election rapidly approaching.
With a term that began in the midst of a global pandemic that brought a severe economic downturn that affected millions, the Biden administration built a campaign around COVID-19 resolutions and a plan for economic recovery. This in large part was due to the American Rescue Plan, a 1.9 trillion dollar relief bill that included mounting a national vaccination program, containing COVID-19, and safely reopening schools. 1,400 dollar stimulus checks, as well as an increase in testing and support for small businesses and affected communities, were all part of this detailed plan that was passed by Congress on March 11, 2021.
Mounting tensions rising in the country regarding social and human rights issues have proved a challenge for the Biden presidency, as well as the Democratic party as a whole. Concerns about racism, police brutality, legislation affecting LGBTQ+ people and the recent overturn of Roe V. Wade, have escalated as the Biden administration’s hopes about bipartisanship have fallen in the face of an ever-growing chasm of disagreement.
On the day of the SOTU, Biden’s official Twitter account posted,“Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it,” a quote from the speech.
Further, during the speech, the President said, "Let’s also pass the bipartisan Equality Act to ensure LGBTQ Americans, especially transgender young people, can live with safety and dignity.”
The recent 2022 midterm elections resulted in the Republican Party (GOP) holding majority control of the House and the Democrats retaining control of the Senate. This party division seems to be a greater one than ever before.
With his party’s candidacy for 2024 still unclear, the President spoke optimistically for almost 80 minutes.
Despite the positive tone, the reality of American politics was clear, as hecklers and other disturbances from the crowd interrupted Biden on numerous occasions throughout the night.
Partly in response to the debate on Social Security, which persists despite the GOP being adamant that they will not push for the cut of benefits, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled out ‘liar’ upon the President’s mention of the topic.
In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, Evelyn Fleming ’26 stated that, in her opinion, the presence of these disturbances was “one of the most important takeaways.”
“Republicans don’t seem interested in bipartisanship, as evidenced by their behavior throughout the speech,” Fleming said.
With some important points being made on the aforementioned national political divisions, social issues and the state of a possible economy in recession, Biden’s speech came at what POLITICO called a “high-stakes moment for his presidency.”
Biden made sure to highlight that, despite general worries about the economy’s state, the country’s unemployment has indeed decreased to a fifty-year low, and more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been created. The President also highlighted his climate policies, as they directly intersect with his administration’s economic policy.
Such concerns are often at the forefront of conversation at Mount Holyoke. “Overall, the Mount Holyoke community seems to be very tuned in to United States politics. I think that the State of the Union is an important way for the president and their team to let the country know what their aims are and to communicate their priorities to congress. I always find it interesting to hear what the current President has to say about their goals,” Fleming said.
However, when it came to this year’s SOTU, Fleming felt underwhelmed.
“I thought that this State of the Union wasn’t all that unique. It seemed like Biden was repeating a lot of the same messages he has been for a while,” she said.
Zoey Pickett ’26 shared similar sentiments. “I think one of the most important things about the 2023 SOTU wasn’t what was talked about, but instead what was ignored. Biden did not address any specific climate change legislation that has been passed, because there’s basically been none, and didn’t say how he would address it moving forward. He did talk about the infrastructure bill that invested in weatherizing infrastructure but that was the only mention.Pickett pointed out the value the SOTU provides for those who may not tune in to everyday politics. Even on the College’s campus, which Pickett believes is “more politically inclined than your average campus,” there are those whom, “if you were to ask the average student to name a bill that was passed in the past year I’m not sure [they] could do so.”
Speaking from her own experience, Pickett mentioned that she “personally started watching the State of the Union in the final year of the Trump Administration.”
“I have watched every year since and I think it is a really valuable way to gauge the current administration’s policy platforms. It is also a nice refresher for all of the legislation that has been passed in the past year. Personally, I think the SOTU is very important to staying up to date with American politics,” Pickett said.
But, she believes that individual responsibility to stay up to date goes well beyond tuning into the SOTU.
“If you want to become knowledgeable about American politics, you should know what was mentioned at the SOTU but that definitely isn’t where you should stop,” Pickett maintained.
Despite any political shortcomings, Pickett told Mount Holyoke News that this SOTU was memorable in another way. “I loved the SOTU drama this year. Jill Biden kissed Doug Emhoff on the mouth, Lauren Boebert was heckling, Biden ignored George Santos and Marjorie Taylor Green brought in a giant white balloon. How do you get the craziest people in the country in the same room? Deliver the State of the Union.”