In the first speech before the United States Congress, the president Joe Biden he strongly defended the federal government and its ambitious plans for greater welfare and investment in infrastructure. Four trillion dollar investments.
“The United States is moving forward, we can’t stop now,” Biden said in a different Congress than usual. The 1,600 guests have been reduced to about 200 as security has been strengthened along the entire perimeter of the Capitol.
With two women at his side for the first time, the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and the vice president of the country, Kamala Harris, the Democrat, in a speech lasting about an hour, reiterated that “the drip economy has never worked. It’s time to make it grow from below ”.
An optimistic Biden confirmed that “America is on the move again with the ability to turn danger into possibility and crisis into opportunity after a pandemic that has claimed more than 500,000 lives in the country. But we have created 1.3 million jobs in just three months and defended child poverty ”.
In a complicated moment in the country, Biden decided to launch a package of stimuli and structural reforms of great social importance: in March a bailout of 19 billion; then a 2.3 billion infrastructure plan and now a new program for families and public education for another 1.8 billion.
And the money to finance them wants to find them with more resources to fight tax evasion, tax increases for companies and for those citizens who earn more than $ 400,000 a year, 37% to 39.6%. In open dissent with the Republicans.
Biden has dedicated much of his message to the blue-clad workers, who have been smoothed by Trump for a long time. The Democrat tried to reassure them. “When I think of climate change, I think of work – he stressed – There is no reason why turbines for windmills shouldn’t be produced in Pittsburgh, rather than in Beijing”.
“If you feel abandoned and forgotten in a rapidly changing economy. Let me tell you that these jobs are well paid and cannot be outsourced – Biden said – 90% of infrastructure jobs do not require a degree. “
With a very evident change with respect to the administration Barack Obama, he also defended the strengthening of the trade union movement, stressing: “Wall Street did not build this country, the middle class built this country. And the unions make up the middle class ”.
And then another challenge with the slogan “Buy American Product.” “American taxpayer dollars will be used to buy American products that will create American jobs,” he said.
The satisfaction of his first 100 days is good, 59% against Trump’s 39% in the same period because, above all, on the response to the pandemic he acted very well.
And then he asked to strengthen the borders but to want to manage immigration carefully.
In foreign policy he does not seek an escalation of tension with China and Russia but warned them that all improper actions will have consequences.
The Republican also addressed the death of African American George Floyd under the knee of agent Derek Chauvin, found guilty last week by the Minneapolis jury, and asked Congress to take advantage of the anniversary of the crime, next May 25, to pass a police reform law to help prevent abuse and to bear his name.
Finally Biden asked for “the healing of the soul of this nation”.
Conciliatory tones compared to Donald Trump’s past speech. What is certain is that the Republicans did not seem at all convinced of the whole package and heralds a hard and complicated battle.