President Joe Biden delivered his final State of the Union speech before the next presidential election in November.
During his speech, Biden discussed Ukraine, the economy, the southern border, firearms regulations, Israel, Gaza, and other issues. He also debated hecklers and Republican congressmen who voiced their disapproval of some of his statements.
Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) delivered the response to Biden’s speech. Britt is in her first term as a Senator.
Here is a list of some of the topics Biden covered and some quotes from his speech (you can watch the full speech here):
Note: The quotes in each topic do not necessarily appear in the order they appear here.
Ukraine/Russia Conflict
“If anybody in this room thinks Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you, he will not.”
“But Ukraine can stop Putin if we stand with Ukraine and provide the weapons it needs to defend itself. That is all Ukraine is asking. They are not asking for American soldiers.”
“But now assistance for Ukraine is being blocked by those who want us to walk away from our leadership in the world.”
“My message to President Putin is simple.
We will not walk away. We will not bow down. I will not bow down.”
January 6th
“January 6th and the lies about the 2020 election, and the plots to steal the election, posed the gravest threat to our democracy since the Civil War.”
“My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth of January 6th.
I will not do that.”
Abortion
“Like most Americans, I believe Roe v. Wade got it right. And I thank Vice President Harris for being an incredible leader, defending reproductive freedom and so much more.
But my predecessor came to office determined to see Roe v. Wade overturned.”
“Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade have no clue about the power of women in America.
They found out though when reproductive freedom was on the ballot and won in 2022, 2023, and they will find out again, in 2024.
If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you, I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again!”
Economy/Covid
“Four years ago next week, before I came to office, our country was hit by the worst pandemic and the worst economic crisis in a century.”
“The pandemic no longer controls our lives. The vaccines that saved us from COVID are now being used to help beat cancer.”
“I inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now our economy is the envy of the world!”
“Inflation has dropped from 9% to 3%—the lowest in the world!”
Border
“In November, my team began serious negotiations with a bipartisan group of Senators.
The result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security reforms we’ve ever seen in this country.”
“Unlike my predecessor, on my first day in office I introduced a comprehensive plan to fix our immigration system, secure the border, and provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and so much more.”
Healthcare
“Now I want to cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 a year for everyone!”
“That’s why we’re launching the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, led by Jill who is doing an incredible job as First Lady.”
Guns
“With us tonight is Jasmine, whose 9-year-old sister Jackie was murdered with 21 classmates and teachers at her elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.”
“I’m demanding a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines!
Pass universal background checks!
None of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners.”
Israel/Hamas Conflict
“This crisis began on October 7th with a massacre by the terrorist group Hamas.”
“Israel has an added burden because Hamas hides and operates among the civilian population. But Israel also has a fundamental responsibility to protect innocent civilians in Gaza.”
“Tonight, I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelters.”
You read the full transcript of Biden’s speech here.
Britt’s response to Biden lasted approximately 18 minutes.
You can watch Britt’s full speech here.
Note: The quotes from Britt’s speech do not necessarily appear in order.
American Dream
“Like so many families across America, my husband, Wesley, and I just watched President Biden’s State of the Union Address from our living room. What we saw was the performance of a permanent politician who has actually been in office for longer than I’ve even been alive.”
“The country we know and love seems to be slipping away. It feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities — and less freedom — than we did. I worry my own children may not even get a shot at living their American Dreams.”
Southern Border
“And you don’t have to look any further than the crisis at our southern border to see it. President Biden inherited the most secure border of all-time. But minutes after taking office, he suspended all deportations, halted construction of the border wall, and announced a plan to give amnesty to millions.”
“From fentanyl poisonings to horrific murders … there are empty chairs tonight at kitchen tables just like this one because of President Biden’s senseless border policies.
Just think about Laken Riley. In my neighboring state of Georgia, this beautiful, 22-year-old nursing student went out on a jog one morning. But she never got the opportunity to return home. She was brutally murdered by one of the millions of illegal border crossers President Biden chose to release into our homeland.”
Economy
“The American people are scraping by while the President proudly proclaims Bidenomics is working!
Bless his heart. We know better.”
“But let’s be honest — it’s been a minute since Joe Biden pumped gas, ran carpool, or pushed a grocery cart. Meanwhile, the rest of us see every day that our dollar doesn’t go as far.”
“I’ll never forget stopping at a gas station in Chilton County one evening. The gentleman working the counter told me that after retiring, he had to pick up that job in his 70s so he didn’t have to choose between going hungry or going without his medication. He said, “I did everything right, everything I was told to do — I worked hard, I saved, I was responsible.”
Global Conflict
“From abandoning allies in his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan to desperately pushing another dangerous deal with Iran, President Biden has failed.”
“Putin’s brutal aggression in Europe has put our allies on the brink.”
“Iran’s terrorist proxies have slaughtered Israeli Jews and American citizens. They’ve targeted commercial shipping. And they’ve attacked our troops nearly 200 times since October, killing three U.S. soldiers and two Navy SEALs.”
“Meanwhile, the Chinese Communist Party is undercutting America’s workers. China is buying up our farmland, spying on our military installations, and spreading propaganda through the likes of TikTok.”
You can read Britt’s full speech by clicking here.
