Biden could become the first president to deliver State of the Union address during a government shutdown

CNN
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When President Joe Biden convenes a joint session of Congress, the Cabinet, military leaders and Supreme Court justices next week for his much-anticipated State of the Union address, the government will be in a partial shutdown and on the verge of a full shutdown. It is possible to proceed.

Biden’s speech is scheduled for Thursday, March 7, during a key government funding deadline. As the clock ticks down, lawmakers remain deeply divided over plans to keep the lights on, with no clear solution in sight.

The two-phase plan passed in January extends funding to parts of the federal government through March 1, including the departments of Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Energy. Ta. The rest of the government (not covered by the first step) will be funded through March 8th.

With about 20% of the federal government underfunded, if Congress fails to pass a spending bill, Mr. Biden will speak on the eve of the second spending deadline, threatening the U.S. economy and national security. may have a significant impact on . It will be the first time a U.S. president has delivered a State of the Union address during a government shutdown, partial or otherwise, and an increasingly polarized Congress has repeatedly struggled to find consensus on past governing responsibilities. It will reflect that.

While it is legally and logistically possible for the president to deliver a State of the Union address during a partial shutdown, there are considerations to be made about what message doing so would send to the nation and the world.

“This is our nation’s biggest speech,” said Maya McGuineas, chair of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “Leaders around the world are following suit. And if it’s happening during a government shutdown, a time that is typical of American dysfunction, it’s a terrible statement to everyone involved.” America will not govern itself and therefore will not lead the world.”

The White House did not respond to CNN’s questions about whether the president would consider delaying his remarks.

“The focus should be on House Republicans doing their jobs to keep government open,” a White House official said.

But one conservative lawmaker has already called on his own leadership to rescind the invitation for political reasons.

“We need to use every tool at our disposal…including spending and, of course, addressing the nation from Congress,” Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Scott Perry said on a Monday appearance on Fox Business. Ta.

Perry added that Biden “came at the invitation of Congress.” Republicans are in charge of the House of Representatives. There’s no reason why he should be invited to do more propaganda. ”

Perry’s message is not without precedent. During the 2019 government shutdown, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to then-President Donald Trump urging him to change or write the State of the Union address amid national security concerns.

At the time, Pelosi pointed out that the U.S. Secret Service, which oversees security for the high-profile event, had not received funding for nearly a month. Pelosi later declined Trump’s invitation to speak on the House floor. President Trump finally spoke after the 35-day shutdown ended.

This time, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, will not be affected by the original shutdown deadline and will continue to function normally. Funding to the government’s legislative branch is also unaffected by the initial deadline.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) insisted on Tuesday that Biden’s speech would go on as scheduled, telling CNN: “We are going to prevent a government shutdown.”

But if lawmakers can’t reach a deal, the prime-time speech will give Biden a political opportunity to captivate his audience and increase pressure. It will also provide visuals that encapsulate the partisanship of the moment.

McGuineas said the way lawmakers stood and sat along partisan lines during the president’s speech provided “the perfect backdrop for the tensions that led to the government shutdown.”