President Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address on March 1, the White House announced Friday — the latest date in a new year that a president has ever delivered the annual speech.
Earlier Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited Mr. Biden to give the address on that date. In the invitation letter, the California Democrat ticked off a list of the president’s accomplishments and said he “guided America out of crisis and into an era of great progress.”
“Indeed, this past year has been historic: with the life-saving American Rescue Plan, once-in-a-century Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, soon, the truly transformational Build Back Better Act,” Mrs. Pelosi wrote. “In that spirit, I am inviting you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 1, to share your vision on the State of the Union.”
White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday that Mr. Biden has accepted the invitation. It’s not yet clear how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the event.
Mr. Biden gave a speech to a joint session of Congress last year, but it was heavily restricted because of the pandemic. Only roughly 200 people were allowed in the chamber for the speech.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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