Thompson, Huffman applaud Biden’s first State of the Union speech

March 01, 2022

President Joe Biden won plaudits from Sonoma County’s two Democratic congressmen for his first State of the Union speech as Russia’s assault on Ukraine continued Tuesday night nearly 5,000 miles away.

“It was refreshing to hear from a leader in the White House who is commanding respect from abroad and working with our allies in the common defense of democracy at home and around the world,” Rep. Mike Thompson of St. Helena said in a statement.

“Looking ahead, we still have a lot of work to do,” he said, referring to the need for lowered costs for gas, groceries, child and elder care, and prescription drugs.

Thompson also said he was pleased to hear the president call for universal background checks on firearms purchases, an issue Thompson has pushed for years without success.

“I was glad the president reminded us how far we’ve come in the last year,” Rep. Jared Huffman of San Rafael said.

Democrats “haven’t done very well” at bragging “about all of the good things we’ve delivered,” he said, citing the American Rescue Plan “to drag the economy out of the ditch and into the fastest growth rate we’ve seen in 40 years.”

“It was a solid speech,” Huffman said, calling Biden’s optimism and achievements “an important turning point in our message to the American people.”

Coming at a “historic moment,” Biden’s address initially strayed from the traditional “bucket list of things the president would like to get done,” said David McCuan, a Sonoma State University political scientist.

“This is a speech that’s trying to be memorable,” he said, referring to the focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Our whole world has shifted in the last 10 to 12 days.”

The incursion forced Biden’s aides to revise the speech so that it focused on the largest conventional military attack seen since World War II, the New York Times reported, describing the setting as “a politically shaky moment for Mr. Biden and the country.”

The president’s hourlong address — punctuated by standing ovations from throughout the House chamber — opened with 12 minutes devoted to punishing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression.

“He has no idea what’s coming,” Biden said.

McCuan said the speech “tried to reassert the United States as a global leader.”

Biden also touched on economic issues at a time of rising inflation and his own low approval ratings from the public, calling for a $15 minimum wage, McCuan noted.

Before he was done, Biden touched on a litany of issues, including health care, climate change, prescription drug costs, COVID and infrastructure spending to create jobs.

“The State of the Union is strong because you the American people are strong,” Biden said. “This is our moment.”

You can reach Staff Writer Guy Kovner at 707-521-5457 or guy.kovner@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @guykovner.


By:  Guy Kovner
Source: The Press Democrat