Joe Biden to deliver State of the Union address as decision on 2024 looms – live

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In his State of the Union address tonight, Joe Biden will appeal to Republicans and argue that Americans will benefit only if the two parties work together.

“To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” the president will say, according to excerpts released by the White House. “The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere. And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class, to unite the country. We’ve been sent here to finish the job!”

His speech appears set to focus heavily on the economy, with Biden noting how America has recovered more quickly from the Covid-19 pandemic than other major markets.

“The story of America is a story of progress and resilience … We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again,” Biden will say. “Two years ago, Covid had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much. Today, Covid no longer controls our lives.”

He’ll also try to empathize with Americans as he argues that his policies have improved their lot, despite high inflation and many workers’ generally gloomy views of the economy.

“Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible. Maybe that’s you watching at home. You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away,” the president will say.

“I get it. That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives.”