President Joe Biden was on fire at SOTU. He used Trump exploding debt to demand a debt ceiling increase, and he called out Republicans for holding the nation hostage to cut Social Security and Medicare.
Joe Biden was on fire at SOTU.
President Joe Biden did not pull any punches. He called out the Republicans for not wanting to increase the #DebtCeiling while doing so with their complicity in Trump exploding the debt and deficits. He then called them out for holding the Biden administration from trying to cut Social Security and Medicare.
Biden first pointed out that under his administration, he reduced the deficit.
In the last two years, my administration has cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion — the largest deficit reduction in American history.
Biden first dinged Trump and the Republicans for ballooning the deficit from our inception by 25%.
Because those record deficits, no president added more to the national debt in any four years than my predecessor.
Nearly 25 percent of the entire national debt that took over 200 years to accumulate was added by just one administration alone, the last one. There are the facts, check it out. Check it out.
He pointed out GOP hypocrisy as they had no problems raising the debt ceiling then.
How did Congress respond to that debt? They did the right thing.
They lifted the debt ceiling three times without preconditions or crisis.
They paid American bills to prevent an economic disaster to the country.
So tonight, I’m asking the Congress to follow suit.
Let’s commit here tonight that the full faith and credit of the United States of America will never, ever be questioned.
And then the president made it clear that Republicans intend to hold the country hostage with the debt ceiling. They want to cut Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.
Some of my Republican friends want to take the economy hostage — I get it — unless I agree to their economic plans. All of you at home should know what those plans are.
Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans, some Republicans, want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. I’m not saying it’s the majority.
Republicans started shouting for being truthfully called out. Biden was ready.
Let me give you — anybody who doubts it, contact my office. I’ll give you a copy — I’ll give you a copy of the proposal. That means Congress doesn’t vote.
You know, it means if Congress doesn’t keep the programs the way they are, they go away.
Biden then goaded Republicans into “promising” they won’t cut the programs by standing up. Of course, one knows one can never trust the words of Republican politicians or neoliberals as they are owned by the plutocracy.
The President then gave America a reason to keep him.
Folks — so folks, as we all apparently agree, Social Security and Medicare is off the books now, right? They’re not to be — all right. We’ve got unanimity.
Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors. Americans have to pay into them from the very first paycheck they started.
So tonight, let’s all agree — and we apparently are — let’s stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare.
Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned it.
And if anyone tries to cut Social Security, which apparently no one’s going to do, and if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I’ll stop them. I’ll veto it. And look, I’m not going to allow them to take away — be taken away.
Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever. But apparently it’s not going to be a problem.
The entire speech was well written. But this section was the coup de grace.
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