WASHINGTON — A perk of the presidency is the chance to deliver a speech to Congress, and millions of Americans, soon after taking office.
On Wednesday, President Biden will finally do just that, giving his first address to a joint session of Congress, which had been delayed by his administration’s early push to confront the coronavirus pandemic.
Part victory lap and part sales job, the speech will let Mr. Biden mark the nearly 100 days he has spent in the Oval Office by describing his efforts to vaccinate Americans and revive the economy, aides said. But he also plans to seize the moment to pitch a broader agenda, laying out his proposals to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure and expand public benefits.
Because of the pandemic, Mr. Biden will deliver his speech to a pared-down, socially distanced group of lawmakers and administration officials — a far cry from the tightly packed House chamber of previous years. But the goal will be similar: Make your pitch to the public with the bully pulpit of the presidency.
about 43 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine and nearly a third are fully vaccinated.
$1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed Congress with no Republican support, using a budgetary maneuver that allowed Democrats to push it through anyway.