West News Wire: During his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden was interrupted by booing and shouting. Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene called him a “fraud” after he slammed the GOP’s economic strategy.
In his speech on Tuesday, Vice President Biden placed a strong emphasis on his domestic policies, praising the administration’s initiatives to combat inflation, unemployment, climate change, Covid-19, and a number of other issues. At one point, Biden accused lawmakers from opposing parties of plotting to eliminate welfare benefits for Americans.
“I understand that some of my Republican friends want to hold the economy hostage until I accept their economic policies. You should all be aware of those plans at home, he continued. “Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.”
The comment immediately triggered an uproar, with Republicans loudly booing and hissing at the president, who attempted to appease the angry crowd.
“I’m not saying it’s a majority of you,” he continued, going on to offer a copy of a GOP proposal on Medicare and Social Security benefits for “anybody who doubts it.”
Amid the heckling, Congresswoman Greene known to critics and supporters alike as ‘MTG’ was heard shouting “liar” toward the podium, also repeatedly giving Biden a thumbs-down. Other lawmakers joined in the display, though some, such as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, refrained from open disruption and merely shook their heads in disapproval.
While largely focused on economic issues and problems at home, Biden’s speech also touched on foreign affairs, declaring that the US would continue to seek fierce “competition” with China.
“Before I came to office, the story was about how the People’s Republic of China was increasing its power and America was failing in the world. Not anymore,” he said, adding “Today, we’re in the strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world.”
When referring to the recent shooting down of a Chinese high-altitude balloon that crossed over the US, the president underlined that his administration would engage with Beijing whenever possible but insisted that “if China challenges our sovereignty we will act to protect our country, which we did.” Chinese officials have denied the suggestion made by Washington that the gadget may have been used for surveillance.
Biden claimed to have “unified NATO” and “created a global coalition” to confront Russia, calling the hostilities a “test for America,” and the crisis in Ukraine was briefly brought up. The president welcomed Oksana Markarova, the ambassador of Ukraine to the US, as a special guest, and reiterated vows to support Kiev with weapons and other aid for “as long as it takes,” having authorized some $30 billion in direct military assistance since last year.
