Preview of Biden's first State of the Union Address

The US Constitution mandates the president “shall from time to time give Congress information of the State of the Union”, which has now become an annual address from the sitting president. This is an opportunity for the president to make their case – celebrating successes so far and setting the policy trajectory for the year ahead. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited President Biden to give his first State of the Union Address on 1 March 2022. Facing dwindling poll numbers and an acrimoniously divided country, can President Biden’s address win him much needed political capital ahead of the November 2022 midterm elections? How much will the Indo-Pacific or other foreign policy feature in his address? What should Australia listen out for? To discuss these issues before President Biden’s address, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar event with USSC politics experts Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy David Smith, Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe and Research Associate Victoria Cooper in conversation with CEO Professor Simon Jackman.