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PRESENTED BY

BY JOHN BRESNAHAN, ANNA PALMER AND JAKE SHERMAN
WITH MAX COHEN AND CHRISTIAN HALL

THE TOP

Happy Sunday, and welcome to Punchbowl News’ State of the Union special edition. 

Let’s start here: The State of the Union will be Tuesday night in the House chamber in the Capitol. It is President Joseph Robinette Biden’s first SOTU; his speech last April was an address to a joint session of Congress as it came during the opening months of his presidency. A small distinction, but an important historical note. Mike Donilon, a senior adviser to the president, is working closely with Biden on his address. 

And for the first time since 2020, the House chamber will be open to all members and senators for the speech. As of now, the guidelines issued by the attending physician have lawmakers seated both on the House floor and in the galleries above. No guests will be allowed to attend the speech.

Biden will come to the Capitol on the 404th day of his presidency, during perhaps the most pivotal moment of his short tenure. In many respects, the nation – and even the world – is balancing on a tightrope.

The oldest president in American history – Biden will turn 80 this year – faces a trio of intractable political issues: a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, the Covid-19 pandemic and soaring inflation that threatens U.S. economic gains.

On each issue, Biden has taken a position that puts him in stark contrast with the Republican Party and his predecessor, former President Donald Trump. 

When it comes to Ukraine, Biden is wrapping himself in multilateralism, the power of international alliances and collective solutions. Trump, on the other hand, was ready to leave NATO. On Covid, Biden has sided with his scientific advisers to a fault. And when it comes to inflation, Biden has proposed trillions of dollars in new government spending, which Republicans oppose. 

Biden wants to return to a normal world – one where Covid is minimalized, the global community is stable and bipartisanship reigns on Capitol Hill. But the reality he faces is far grimmer. Even as the Omicron surge wanes, the fallout from the Covid pandemic – including a tidal wave of government red ink – will be with us for years to come. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the latest sign that democracies are on the defensive. And the Trump-led faction still has control of the GOP, making Republicans a modestly unreliable partner in the American Experiment.

There are 253 days until the midterm elections, when voters will render judgment on Democrats’ control of Washington. The White House hopes this speech will set the tone for the rest of the year.

So please enjoy this edition, where we try to set the stage for this critical moment in Biden’s presidency.

THE WEST WING

How Ron Klain views the State of the Union

We had the opportunity to check in with Ron Klain, the White House chief of staff, about what the administration hopes to get out of the State of the Union.

Punchbowl News: How does this White House view the State of the Union? What are the opportunities for the administration?

Klain: “It’s a once-a-year opportunity for the President to take his message directly to the American people, and it comes at a time of great challenges and great opportunity. The world is confronting Russian aggression in Ukraine, and on the economic front, global inflation.  At the same time, it’s a moment of new progress against COVID, and strong economic growth at home. So it is an important time for the President to give his perspective on where we stand, and where we are going.”

Punchbowl News: What’s the president’s goal Tuesday night? 

Klain: “I think the goal of any President when delivering the State of the Union is to tell the American people what we accomplished in the previous year, and what needs to be done in the year to come. President Biden’s State of the Union will be no different."

Punchbowl News: How will the president address the situation in Ukraine?

Klain: “Obviously, the President will address Russia’s attack on Ukraine, as well as other important issues of national security. The State of the Union is always a mix of global affairs and domestic matters; given what is happening now, more of it will address national security than usual.”

Punchbowl News: Where will Biden go after the State of the Union to amplify his message?

Klain: “The President is going to be on the road amplifying the State of the Union as much as possible in the weeks right after the address. He’s going to start by traveling to Superior, Wisconsin the day after the speech, with the First Lady.  He’ll be talking about the Infrastructure Law that day.”

FOREIGN POLICY

Biden and the world

We are in the middle of the biggest foreign policy crisis in Europe since the end of the Cold War. Russia has defied all Western entreaties and warnings, ignored sanctions and invaded Ukraine. Russian forces have streamed toward the capitol of Kyiv, seemingly intent on removing Volodymyr Zelensky as that nation’s leader. This is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s version of “regime change,” apparently.

The implications have the potential to be massive for individual Americans, and the White House is keenly aware of this. Energy prices have already spiked — oil hit its highest price since 2014 earlier this week. Ukraine is a big food producer, with wheat and corn as two big exports, and a major source of neon, which helps power semiconductors around the world. 

So it won’t only be up to Biden to explain America’s involvement in the region, both militarily and diplomatically. Biden will also need to expand upon why it should matter to Americans what happens in the eastern reaches of Europe.

THE POLITICS

Biden’s politics, and Biden’s agenda

Biden’s approval ratings are flagging. As we reported in our special Tally edition earlier this week, House Democrats are planning to run a campaign divorced from Biden and Washington and focus intently on local issues. An emboldened Republican Party is stockpiling record amounts of money for the midterm elections. The National Republican Congressional Committee has more cash in the bank than at any point in its history. And the Congressional Leadership Fund, the House GOP super PAC, is collecting massive checks at a rapid clip. 

The policy: Biden’s legislative agenda – chiefly the Build Back Better Act – is stalled, if not dead. The Democratic Party is engaged in a robust round of finger pointing about who is to blame for the legislative gridlock. Inflation is at its highest point in four decades and shows few signs of receding. Biden’s appointments to the Federal Reserve are stuck behind an increasingly intractable Republican blockade. The Covid pandemic finally seems to be easing – good news for both the country and the Biden administration – but the White House faces a public that’s rightly skeptical the virus is gone for good. 

The opportunity: Biden does have a true opportunity Tuesday evening, one that’s only afforded to the president of the United States. He’ll have the unbridled attention of the tens of millions of Americans who tune in to hear the commander-in-chief’s view on where America is at the moment, and where he thinks it should be going. It is the definition of the bully pulpit. 

In a time of global turmoil, the White House wants to make sure that it doesn’t short change domestic issues, which tends to be Americans’ chief concern. This is an “I-can-walk-and-chew-gum” moment for Biden. One eye on the world, another on the homefront. 

Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain previewed the president’s message during a closed-door briefing of Senate Democrats two weeks ago. Klain, speaking in the ornate Mansfield Room across the Capitol from the House chamber, told Democratic senators that the president will focus on what the administration has accomplished so far – a massive infrastructure bill on a bipartisan basis and rescue package passed by Democrats alone, for example – and what they still want to do. 

On the legislative docket in the coming weeks are a massive bill aimed at combating the technological rise of China and a revival, in some way shape or form – if it’s possible- of the BBB. Biden is set to say that American has turned a corner on Covid. 

Add to Biden’s to do list: A brand new Supreme Court nominee – Ketanji Brown Jackson – who he will now have to sell to a divided Senate and nation.

SUNDAY FRONT PAGES

WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE

Security will be tight, but Covid restrictions likely to loosen

There’s been a definite shift in mood in Washington during recent months. Masks in the Capitol are becoming more scarce, and the security posture has normalized since Jan. 6. There’s a big push among Republicans to open the Capitol up – and even some Democrats are quietly cheering the effort along.

But for the State of the Union, the Capitol will be as locked down as never before. 

The security

The State of the Union is always among the most tense days in the Capitol. Access to the Capitol complex is extremely limited. U.S. Capitol Police officers are bolstered by military units, some of whom wear hazmat suits in case they have to extract lawmakers from a nuclear, chemical or biological attack. Thank God this has never happened. 

But this year, there are a few important additional wrinkles.

→ The Capitol Police will put up a "inner-perimeter fence around the Capitol." 

→ Here is a list of road closures for the State of the Union. We’ve noticed an uptick in police presence on roads and bridges around D.C. in recent days. 

→ The Capitol Police department is preparing for a truck convoy – much like the one in Ottawa – to roll into town in time for President Joe Biden’s address to Congress. Washington is quite accustomed to road closures for the State of the Union. And with the advance warning that this may happen, sources tell us that law enforcement is prepared to respond swiftly. House Sergeant at Arms William Walker suggested that roads may become clogged by the trucks, and suggested public transportation is the best option for those coming to work in the Capitol this coming week.

→ The Pentagon plans to have 700 unarmed National Guardsmen around the area to deal with traffic. 

→ The FAA has instituted a flight restriction zone around D.C. The map of the flight restrictions is here.

→ Former members of Congress, who typically have free rein to enter the House chamber, are being barred from attending the speech.

→ Official business visitors will be allowed into the Capitol until 1 p.m.

→ After 5:30 p.m., only members of Congress, press and aides with offices in the Capitol will be permitted in the Capitol.

The Covid situation

For the first time since February 2020, the nation will have a State of the Union where all lawmakers are invited to attend. As of this writing – Sunday – there are stringent restrictions and guidelines on attending.

But we have some news for you this afternoon. Since the CDC has changed its guidelines to allow people to go unmasked indoors, the Capitol authorities are considering revising their policies for the State of the Union. Here’s a note from Jamie Fleet, the staff director on the House Administration Committee, to aides in the House:

I anticipate that the Attending Physician will release guidance on Monday which may include updated policies related to face coverings, testing and operating posture. Moreover, if there [are] any implications for procedures related to the State of the Union Address, I would expect the Attending Physician to address those as well. I am hopeful to be able to provide you a more thorough briefing during the Chiefs of Staff call on Monday. 

If lawmakers are able to enter the chamber maskless, this will be a marked shift.

THE PUNCH LIST

OK, let’s have some fun. If you’re watching at home – or even if you’re at work – use our handy Punch List to mark off how many phrases President Joe Biden uses and topics he hits during his first State of the Union. Share how many he hits on Twitter and Instagram. Print it out here.

MORE FROM PUNCHBOWL NEWS

The State of the Union kicks off another busy period in Washington, as Congress is back in session to address the crisis in Ukraine, confirm Biden’s Supreme Court pick, and pass what remains of his agenda. Punchbowl News is here to bring you closer to the action across our newsletters, events, and more. 

Punchbowl News team plans are the best way to keep your whole team informed on the day to day happenings of D.C. Team plans allow you to give premium memberships to anyone in your office and include additional perks, like team plan member-only briefings with Anna and Jake. Let us know you’re interested in learning more here and we’ll be in touch. 

We’re bringing you two newsy events in March that we hope you’ll join.

• Pop-Up Conversation with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) on climate and clean energy investments on March 16 at 3:00 p.m (RSVP here)
• Investing in America: Conversation with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) in person on March 17 at 9:00 a.m. about investing in small businesses and communities coming out of the pandemic (RSVP here)

As always, register for our events hub to be the first to know about new events. 

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Editorial photos provided by Getty Images