Also sitting near the first lady were cancer survivors, business owners, students, a young immigrant seeking legal status, the father of a fentanyl overdose victim, a couple who pushed to legalize same-sex marriage, a Holocaust survivor, an ironworker, a Navy spouse, the man who disarmed a shooter in Monterey Park, Calif., and a woman who encountered trouble in pregnancy but could not be helped because of Texas’ abortion law.
Accompanying them were the parents of Tyre Nichols, the Black man who was beaten to death by five police officers in Memphis, touching off the latest national debate about policing and race.
Absent from the chamber, though, was Marty Walsh, the labor secretary who was chosen to stay away as a designated survivor in case of a catastrophe at the Capitol and is reported to be stepping down soon.
In his speech, Mr. Biden intended to call on Congress to extend a new $35 price cap on insulin for Medicare beneficiaries to all Americans; to make premium savings on Affordable Care Act health plans permanent; to impose a minimum tax on billionaires; and to quadruple the tax on corporate stock buybacks.
While those were not expected to generate much applause from Republicans, Mr. Biden nonetheless planned to put forward the latest elements of what aides call his “unity agenda,” a menu of policy proposals that presumably could attract bipartisan support. Among them will be initiatives to tackle the opioid epidemic, enhance cancer research and treatment, expand access to mental health services, and improve benefits for veterans.
He also hoped to cement bipartisan support for his efforts to send tens of billions of dollars in arms and other aid to Ukraine to help it defeat Russian forces, nearly a year after Moscow’s unprovoked invasion. Mr. McCarthy said last fall that if Republicans won there would be no more “blank check” for Ukraine, and while most G.O.P. lawmakers continue to support military aid, polls show rising skepticism among Republican voters.
As important as his program may be, the president also faced pressure to ensure a smooth performance in front of what was likely to be his largest television audience of the year. At age 80, Mr. Biden is already the oldest president in U.S. history, and if he seeks re-election would be asking voters to entrust the White House to him until he is 86. Polls show that even many Democrats are concerned about his age and eager to see a younger generation rise to leadership of the party.
In a preview of what a campaign may look like, Mr. Biden plans to take his message on the road after the speech, heading to Madison, Wis., on Wednesday to sell voters on his economic record and to Tampa, Fla., on Thursday to accuse Republicans of endangering Social Security and Medicare.