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Republicans gave a mixed reaction to President Joe Biden’s first statements in his State of the Union address.
Republicans responded positively to Biden’s bipartisan overtures and push for increasing U.S. manufacturing.
Biden acknowledged that Democrats sometimes “went it alone” during the last Congress—including the passage of over $2.6 trillion in spending with no GOP support.
However, he called for bipartisanship in the now-divided Congress.
“To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” Biden said.
Republicans gave the comment a standing ovation.
Biden added later, “The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.”
“And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class, to unite the country. We’ve been sent here to finish the job!”
The GOP reaction is a positive sign for Biden, who will now have to work with Republicans for any policy items he hopes to pass before the end of his first term.
Biden also struck a populist note, referencing “the jobs that went away,” a reference to the explosive exodus of corporate manufacturers since the 1980s. Many of these jobs have gone to China, where labor laws are far laxer and wages far lower.
During his speech, Biden called for a resurgence in American manufacturing—a message Republicans applauded.
“Where is it written that America can’t lead the world in manufacturing?” Biden said.
