President Joe Biden announced a slew of policy priorities and promises in his 2023 State of the Union address. A year later as he takes the stage on Thursday night to deliver his last address ahead of the 2024 election, the Washington Examiner reviewed a list of promises and initiatives in his last speech to see where they stand.
Immigration
Biden said: “Let’s also come together on immigration and make it a bipartisan issue like it was before. We now have a record number of personnel working to secure the border, arresting 8,000 human smugglers and seizing over 23,000 pounds of fentanyl in just the last several months.”
The border continues to be a vulnerability for Biden, following the encounters of more than 8 million immigrants at the nation’s border under Biden. The Senate killed off the $118 billion bipartisan border and foreign aid bill after former President Donald Trump began lobbying Republicans to oppose the border compromise that was delicately hashed out in the Senate. The administration is considering a number of executive actions to stop admitting immigrants who illegally cross the border, but without additional funding from Congress, the implementation could be challenging.
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Social Media
Biden said: “We must finally hold social media companies accountable for the experiment they are running on our children for profit. And it’s time to pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and impose stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us.”
While lawmakers have introduced a number of social media-related bills, the legislation has not passed. Opponents of the measures argue that anonymous speech has a long, constitutionally protected history in the United States for political speech and personal safety.
Ukraine
Biden said: “We stood with the Ukrainian people. Tonight, we are once again joined by Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States. She represents not just her nation, but the courage of her people. Ambassador, America is united in our support for your country. We will stand with you as long as it takes.”
While Biden has strongly been in support of sending more aid to Ukraine, Congress has not been as cooperative. As the conflict in Ukraine drags on, the flow of weapons and cash from the U.S., totaling around $44 billion, has mostly dried up. A package that includes $60 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine that recently passed in the Senate is in limbo as House Republicans loyal to Trump question whether the U.S. should continue sending resources. The White House continues to press lawmakers to support additional funding.
The economy and inflation
Biden said: “Inflation has been a global problem because of the pandemic that disrupted supply chains and Putin’s war that disrupted energy and food supplies.
But we’re better positioned than any country on Earth. We have more to do, but here at home, inflation is coming down. Here at home, gas prices are down $1.50 a gallon since their peak. Food inflation is coming down. Inflation has fallen every month for the last six months while take-home pay has gone up.”
Since last year, inflation has trended downward, gas prices have dropped, there’s low unemployment, and consumer confidence has risen. However, Biden is getting little credit for that recovery. High grocery prices and interest rates continue to plague many Americans, which could be contributing to those views.
Infrastructure
Biden said: “Tonight, I’m also announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America. American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables. And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.”
In August, the White House issued guidance to boost the use of U.S.-made goods like iron, steel, and other construction materials in government-funded infrastructure projects. The Office of Management and Budget said the final guidance directed by Congress under the $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure law “will bolster American businesses, workers, and economic growth.”
Education
Biden said: “We’re making progress by reducing student debt, increasing Pell Grants for working and middle-class families. Let’s finish the job and connect students to career opportunities starting in high school, provide access to two years of community college — the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree.”
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In his fiscal 2024 budget, Biden included a $90 billion plan to provide free community college, but it didn’t go anywhere in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The Biden administration has faced significant legal challenges to its student debt forgiveness plan, but the president has found ways to forgive debt for some Americans.
Student loan cancellations are a major focal point for Biden’s presidential agenda and reelection campaign, which suffered a blow after the Supreme Court struck down his prized student loan debt relief plan last year to cancel $400 billion in student debt all at once. The high court ruled the plan was unlawful as it did not get explicit approval from Congress. Since then, the White House has rolled out smaller relief plans.