Joe Biden in 2024 State of the Union address

On Abortion: Congress should codify Roe v. Wade and I'll sign it

There are state laws banning the freedom to choose. Criminalizing doctors, forcing survivors of rape and incest to leave their states to get the treatment they need. Many of you in this chamber and my predecessor are promising to pass a national ban on reproductive freedom. My god, what freedoms would you take away? Look, in its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following, and with all due respect, justices, "Women are not without electoral or political power." You're about to realize just how much you can brag about that.

History is watching another assault on freedom [about] the miracle of IVF To my friends across the aisle, don't keep this waiting any longer. Guarantee the right to IVF. Guarantee it nationwide.

On Corporations: Fight shrinkflation & junk fees; corporations won't like it

The snack companies think you won't notice if they change the size of the bag [or] same size bag, but fewer chips in it. No, I'm not joking. It's called shrinkflation. You probably all saw that commercial on Snickers bars. You get charged the same amount and you got about 10% fewer Snickers in it.

I'm also getting rid of junk fees, those hidden fees at the end of your bill that are there without your knowledge. My administration announced we're cutting credit card late fees from $32 to just $8. Banks and credit card companies are allowed to charge what it would cost them to instigate the collection, and that's more a hell of a lot like $8 than 30-some dollars. Credit card companies don't like it, but I'm saving American families $20 billion a year with all the junk fees I'm eliminating.

On Energy & Oil: Confront the climate crisis instead of denying it

On Families & Children: Preschool for 3-year olds so all learn to read by 3rd grade

I think I pointed out last year that children coming from broken homes where there's no books, they're not read to, not spoken to very often start school, kindergarten or first grade, hearing, having heard a million fewer words spoken.

Well, studies show that children who go to preschool are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school, go on to earn a 2 and 4 year degree no matter what their background is.

I want to expand high-quality tutoring and summer learning to see that every child learns to read by third grade. I'm also connecting local businesses and high schools so students get hands-on experience and a path to a good-paying job whether or not they go to college, and I want to make sure that college more affordable.

On Foreign Policy: Israel has a right to go after Hamas hiding among civilians

On Government Reform: Pass the John Lewis Voting Right Act

But 59 years later, there are forces taking us back in time. Voter suppression, election subversion, unlimited dark money, extreme gerrymandering. Pass the Freedom to Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Right Act. And stop denying another core value of America, our diversity across American life. Banning books, it's wrong. Instead of erasing history, let's make history. I want to protect fundamental rights. Pass the Equality Act.

On Gun Control: Established Office of Gun Violence Prevention

Meanwhile, my predecessor told the NRA he's proud he did nothing on guns when he was president. After another shooting in Iowa recently, when asked what to do about it, he said, "Just get over it." I say stop it; stop it. I'm proud we beat the NRA when I signed most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years.

We now must beat the NRA again. I'm demanding a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Pass universal background checks. None of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners.

On Health Care: Don't let Republicans repeal the Affordable Care Act

In fact, I'm not only protecting it, I'm expanding it. The enacted tax credits save $800 per person per year, reduced health care cost for millions of working families. That tax credit expire next year. I want to make that savings permanent.

To state the obvious, women are more than half our population, but research on women's health has always been underfunded. That's why we're launching the first-ever White House Initiative on Women's Health Research. Pass my plan for $12 billion to transform women's health research and benefit millions of lives all across America.

On Homeland Security: Democracy is under attack both at home and abroad

Tonight, I come to this same chamber to address the nation. Now, it's we who face unprecedented moment in the history of the Union. And yes, my purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment either. Not since President Lincoln in the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today. What makes our moment rare is the freedom and democracy are under attack at both at home and overseas at the very same time.

On Immigration: We can fight about the border, or we can fix it

That bipartisan deal would hire 1,500 more security agents and officers, 100 more immigration judges to help tackle a backload of 2 million cases, 4,300 more asylum officers, and new policies so they can resolve cases in 6 months instead of 6 years now. What are you against? 100 more high-tech drug detection machines to significantly increase the ability to screen and stop vehicles smuggling fentanyl into America?

This bill would save lives and bring order to the border. It will also give me and any new president new emergency authority to temporarily shut down the border when the number of migrants at the border is overwhelming.

On Jobs: We created 15M jobs in 3 years: a record

"Biden's number is accurate: the US economy added 12.1 million jobs between Biden's first full month in office, February 2021, and January 2023. That number is indeed higher than the number of jobs added in any previous four-year presidential term. However, it's important to note that Biden took office in an unusual pandemic context that makes meaningful comparison to other periods very difficult."

Adding figures since then, The Guardian wrote on 2/2/24, "The US added 2.7m jobs last year even as the Fed drove interest rates up to a 22-year high." And CNN adds on 3/7/24, "Economists expect that US employers added 200,000 jobs last month". That totals to 15 million jobs.

On Social Security: If Congress tries to raise retirement age, I will stop you

The working people who built this country pay more into Social Security than millionaires and billionaires do. It's not fair. We have two ways to go. Republicans can cut Social Security and give more tax breaks to the wealthy. I will… [interrupted by Republicans booing]. That's the proposal. Oh, no. You guys don't want another $2 trillion tax cut? I kind of thought that's what your plan was. Well, that's good to hear you're not going to cut another $2 trillion for the super wealthy. That's good to hear. I'll protect and strengthen Social Security and make the wealthy pay their fair share.

On Tax Reform: No person earning under $400K has paid new taxes

They added more to the national debt than any presidential term in American history. Check the numbers. Folks at home, does anybody really think the tax code is fair? Do you really think the wealthy & big corporations need another $2 trillion tax break? I sure don't.

I'm going to keep fighting like hell to make it fair. Under my plan nobody earning less than $400,000 will pay an additional penny in federal taxes. Nobody. Not one penny, and they haven't yet.

On War & Peace: Ukraine: no American soldiers but America will not bow down

But now, assistance to Ukraine is being blocked by those who want to walk away from our world leadership. I wasn't a long ago when a Republican president named Ronald Reagan thundered, "Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall."

Now, my predecessor, a former Republican president, tells Putin, "Do whatever the hell you want." That's a quote. A former president actually said that bowing down to a Russian leader, I think it's outrageous, it's dangerous, and it's unacceptable. America is a founding member of NATO.

On War & Peace: Build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid

To the leadership of Israel, I say this, humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip. Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be a priority. As we look to the future, the only real solution to the situation is a two-state solution over time.

On War & Peace: Contain Iran; degrade the Houthis; include Saudi Arabia

Creating stability in the Middle East also means containing the threat posed by Iran. That's why I build a coalition of more than a dozen countries to defend international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. I've ordered strikes to degrade the Houthis capability and defend US forces in the region. As commander in chief, I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and our military personnel.

On Welfare & Poverty: $400/month tax credit for new home buyers for next 2 years

My administration is also eliminating title insurance on federally-backed mortgages. When you refinance your home you can save you $1,000 or more as a consequence.

For millions of renters, we're cracking down on big landlords who break antitrust laws by price-fixing and driving up rents.

We've cut red tape so builders can get federally financing, which is already helping build a record 1.7 million housing units nationwide. Now pass and build and renovate 2 million affordable homes and bring those rents down.

On Principles & Values: Jan.6 was greatest threat to democracy since the Civil War