Biden pushes for unity in State of the Union as he speaks to divided Congress

President Joe Biden on Tuesday opened his State of the Union address with a celebration of bipartisan achievements and a call for unity, as he faces a divided Congress with a new Republican majority in the 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,” he said. “That’s always been my vision for our country. And I know it’s many of yours. To restore the soul of this nation, to rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class and to unite the country. We’ve been sent here to finish the job.”

Mr. Biden praised Republicans who crossed the aisle to pass the 2021 infrastructure bill, and joked that he’s being asked to fund projects in districts represented by Republicans who did not vote for the legislation. 

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I promised I’d be a president for all Americans. We’ll fund these projects. And I’ll see you at the ground-breaking.”

But Mr. Biden also confronted Republicans on some issues, like spending. They booed him when he said no president had added more to the national debt in any four years than former President Donald Trump. Look it up, he told them.

Several Republicans also yelled “liar” at Mr. Biden when he said some of them wanted to sunset Social Security in exchange for averting a credit default — and then, taking note of that response, he said that Democrats and Republicans “all apparently agree” to reject any cuts to Medicare and Social Security. 

Mr. Biden received applause from both Democrats and Republicans when said police must be held accountable and acknowledged the family of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died in January after being beaten by Memphis police.   

The president also used the end of his speech to praise House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband Paul Pelosi’s survival of a violent attack, allegedly by someone who believed the “Big Lie” that former President Donald Trump had won the 2020 election.

Still, the president’s main message was one of unity. “We must see each other not as enemies, but as fellow Americans,” Mr. Biden said. “We are a good people, the only nation in the world built on an idea.”

Mr. Biden only made passing mention about China despite the spy balloon saga that has gripped Washington for nearly a week. “I am committed to work with China where we can advance American interests and benefit the world,” Mr. Biden said. “But make no mistake about it: As we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did.” 

Republicans have criticized the president over the incident, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene even carried a balloon around the Capitol on Tuesday ahead of the speech. 

The president also addressed the spike in fentanyl smuggling, calling for “a major surge to stop fentanyl production, sale, and trafficking, with more drug detection machines to inspect cargo and stop pills and powder at the border.” But many Republicans shouted while he spoke about fentanyl, and at least one shouted “it’s your fault.” Republicans blame migrants apprehended on foot at the southern border for fentanyl trafficking, but the Biden administration and Democrats reject this claim, citing the statistics that show most fentanyl is seized at ports of entry from trucks and cars.

Mr. Biden’s calls for bipartisanship came as a new CBS News poll released Tuesday showed many Americans are still anxious about inflation and the economy, and nearly half say Mr. Biden’s policies are making their own families’ finances worse.