From Ukraine to inflation: 5 things to watch for in Biden's State of the Union address

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address Tuesday to a nation eager to move on from the deadly coronavirus pandemic but facing worries over inflation and conflict with Russia.

Biden’s remarks to a joint session of Congress will give him a chance to trumpet his administration’s accomplishments during his first year in office and lay out policy goals for the coming year.

A prominent Democratic strategist urged Biden to use the opportunity to offer Americans hope for better days.

“What Americans want to hear is genuine understanding of what we have been through together and a clear path forward – less about Mr. Biden’s accomplishments than about the heroic, unsung sacrifices so many have made to see their families and communities through,” David Axelrod, who helped shape many of President Barack Obama’s addresses to Congress, wrote in an op-ed in The New York Times.

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Biden’s speech won’t be his first major address to Congress. Three months after taking office, Biden struck an optimistic tone during a joint session of the House and Senate last April. That speech wasn’t technically a State of the Union address.

Here are five things to watch for in Biden’s first State of the Union.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Where things stand: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will cast a long shadow over Biden’s State of the Union address. The full-blown foreign policy crisis has consumed Biden. The White House issued a series of economic sanctions to penalize Russian President Vladimir Putin and sent increased assistance to Ukraine. Sunday, Putin placed Russia's nuclear forces on alert. Biden's address will give him a platform to tout his administration's renewed emphasis on America's alliance with Europe, as the United States and European Union coordinate their response.

Why it matters: Biden has slapped punishing sanctions on Russia, which could threaten European security and raises the possibility of another Cold War-style confrontation with Moscow. The measures take aim at Russia’s banking, technology and aerospace sectors and target Putin and members of his inner circle. Americans could feel the effects of Putin’s war when they refill their gas tanks. Russia is one of the world’s biggest oil and gas producers. The conflict with Ukraine could cause gas prices to soar.

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COVID-19’s new phase

Where things stand: Biden hopes to reassure the country that it's entering a new phase in the fight against COVID-19 and nearing a return to some semblance of normalcy after two years of contentious pandemic restrictions.

The daily average of new cases is down. So are hospitalizations and deaths. States and cities are lifting mask mandates and other restrictions put in place to keep the virus in check. (Washington’s mask mandate will end Tuesday, the day of Biden’s address). The Capitol is lifting its face mask requirement for the House floor, and masks will be optional for the State of the Union.

Why it matters: Polls show Americans are tired of the pandemic and ready to return to some normalcy. The virus has taken a toll on Biden’s popularity. Thirty-nine percent of Americans gave Biden an excellent or good rating for his handling of COVID-19 in a Politico-Morning Consult poll released this month. A Gallup poll released last week put Biden’s marks at 47%. The White House would like to move past the pandemic, too, since it has gobbled up a lot of time and energy the president and his advisers would like to spend on other issues.

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Inflation and the economy

Where things stand: Biden wants Americans to know that he feels their pain when it comes to rising prices. Inflation over the past year soared to its highest rate in four decades, wiping out pay raises, hammering American consumers and reinforcing the Federal Reserve’s decision to begin raising borrowing rates across the economy.

Why it matters: The steady surge in prices has left many Americans struggling to afford food, gas, rent, child care and other necessities. More broadly, inflation has emerged as the biggest risk factor for the economy and as a serious threat to Biden and congressional Democrats in November's midterm elections. Biden has said reversing inflation is a top priority for his administration. The State of the Union will give him another chance to reinforce that message.

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Rebuilding Build Back Better

Where things stand: Biden may use the State of the Union to urge Congress to jump-start negotiations over his ambitious package of social policy and climate change proposals. Biden’s Build Back Better plan has been on life support for weeks after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced in December that he could not back the roughly $2 trillion proposal, which includes national prekindergarten, subsidized child care and actions to address climate change. Congressional Democrats are working to pare down the package in hopes that a smaller bill can win approval.

Why it matters: Build Back Better has been one of Biden’s top legislative priorities, along with a separate infrastructure plan to modernize the nation’s roads, bridges and railways. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure package passed Congress last year with bipartisan support and was signed into law. The White House said there is broad support for a number of provisions in Build Back Better. Biden has said he’s open to breaking the bill into pieces to pass its most important parts.

A historic Supreme Court nominee

Where things stand: Biden will probably call for quick Senate confirmation of his first nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who would replace retiring Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.

Why it matters: The Supreme Court's 6-3 conservative majority has signaled its intention to chip away at abortion rights, in a case challenging the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, and to make it harder for local governments to regulate handguns. Jackson’s ascension wouldn’t change the court’s ideological balance, but it would be historic. If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the court in its 233-year history.

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.

Contributing: John Fritze and Courtney Subramanian, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: State of the Union: Five things to watch for in Biden's address