President Biden will deliver the second State of the Union address of his presidency at 9 p.m. tonight, Feb. 7, on all the major networks.
And it’s time for him — and us — to crow. The U.S. is significantly stronger than it was when he took office two years ago, especially the state of the economy with the unemployment rate now at 3.4%, the lowest in more than 53 years. But that’s not all. President Biden has been a steadying force on the world stage, leading the international response to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. And while his ambitious agenda sometimes ran up against a divided Democratic Party in the Senate in his first two years, he has managed to sign a number of essential bills on infrastructure, gun safety, and several other issues where his predecessors failed.
Besides the overarching themes of economy and foreign policy, count on the president to start laying the groundwork for his second presidential campaign — to win a second term in 2024.
Who are the special guests?
As is tradition, the president and members of Congress can bring along special guests to attend the speech. Among those in attendance will be the parents of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old man who died after being beaten by Memphis police during a recent traffic stop. Nichols' death has sparked additional calls for police reform, and his parents were invited by Nevada Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford.
Both California Rep. Judy Chu and President Biden himself have invited Brandon Tsay — who was hailed as a hero after disarming a man suspected of killing 11 people during a shooting in Monterey Park, Calif., last month.
Democratic Rep. Cori Bush, of Missouri, announced she invited Michael Brown Sr. — the father of a teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in Missouri in 2014 — as her guest. And Republican Rep. Greg Steube — the Florida lawmaker who was recently hospitalized after falling 25 feet from a ladder outside his home — invited Darrell Woodie, the Good Samaritan who called 911 when Steube fell.
We’ll be watching and cheering, of course. Tell it, Mr. President, tell it!