Speech before the Joe Biden Congress: "America is again in motion"

(New York) Lors de son premier discours d’investiture à titre de président, le 20 janvier 1981, Ronald Reagan avait annoncé une nouvelle ère de gouvernance conservatrice en prononçant cette phrase désormais célèbre : « Le gouvernement n’est pas la solution à nos problèmes, il est le problème. »

Forty years and a few months later, Joe Biden took advantage of his first speech on Wednesday evening to offer a major turn, signaling his intention to end this era and harnessed the government's power to create jobs and helpmedium and weak families.

À la veille du 100^e jour de sa présidence, il s’est aussi félicité des réalisations de son administration durant la pire pandémie en un siècle et après une insurrection qui a ébranlé le temple de la démocratie américaine.

"Now, after only 100 days, I can tell the nation that America is in motion again," said Joe Biden, referring to the fallout from his 1900 billion dollars rescue plan promulgated last March.

"100 days ago, the American house was on fire.We had to act, then we adopted the American recovery plan, administered more than 200 million doses [of vaccine], sent more than 160 million emergency checks, provided food and rent aid to millions of people, provided loans to small businesses, "he added.

The Democratic President also devoted an important part of his 65 -minute speech to the promotion of two other ambitious plans.One will require 2300 billion spending to renew the infrastructure of the United States and the other of the expenses of 1800 billion to help families and offer four years of free education.

Throughout his speech, he suggested that these investments would result in jobs for blue collars, including investments devoted to the fight against climate change.

"The most important word to face the climate crisis: jobs, jobs, jobs," he said.

To the rich "to pay their just part"

To finance his ambitious projects, Joe Biden proposed a solution that the political heirs of Ronald Reagan will consider as a sacrilege: to increase the taxes of the Americans earning more than $ 400,000 per year as well as those of American companies.

"I will not impose any tax increase on those who earn less than $ 400,000, but it is time for American companies and the richest 1 % to start paying their fair share," said the president before criticizingThe tax reductions granted by Donald Trump to the wealthiest Americans.

"The economy of runoff has never worked," he added by attacking a master idea for the Reagan era.

The president also called the congress again to bring the federal minimum wage to $ 15 per hour.

A few precedents

Joe Biden's speech took place in unpublished circumstances.For the first time, two women were sitting behind the American president during an address in front of the congress.The president of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, who was not in her first experience of the genre, was accompanied by vice-president Kamala Harris, who participated in another first.

"Madam President, Madam Vice-President.No one has ever said these words since this forum.And it's time, "said Joe Biden before starting his speech.

COVVI-19 Pandemic created another precedent.The president addressed a sparse audience, seats of the hemicycle of the chamber having been left empty to ensure the senators, representatives and other dignitaries present an appropriate physical distancing.

During a speech delivered in a low voice, Joe Biden also called on Congress to adopt reforms on firearms, police and immigration, among others.He also mentioned his policies vis-à-vis China, Russia and Afghanistan, among others.

Referring to Franklin Roosevelt at the end of his speech, Joe Biden said that the future of American democracy was at stake.

"We must prove that democracy is still working.That our government still works and can serve the people, "he said.

The republican senator of South Caroline Tim Scott offered the replica of her party to the speech of Joe Biden.He rejected the left turn proposed by the Democratic President.

“Our best future will not come from Washington or socialist dreams.He will come from you, the American people, "said the only African-American senator of the republican group in the Senate.