The State of the Union address is an annual tradition in the
US democracy, wherein the President delivers a message to the US Congress, describing
in detail the condition of the nation, with key factors such as economy,
health, administrative agendas, legislative changes and the President’s
proposals being recurrent themes in the address each year.

Joe Biden’s upcoming address, on April 28, however is not
precisely the State of the Union address. Biden, having spent roughly over 100 days
in office, will be addressing what has been termed as a ‘Joint Session of Congress’
by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who officially invited Biden to speak at the
event.

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Reportedly, the State of the Union address is usually not
given out by US Presidents in their first year of administration because of the
perceived notion that they haven’t held office to be ably aware of the state of
the nation.

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There are, however, several key points one might expect from
Biden during the address on April 28:

·       
COVID-19 response: Quite possibly the biggest
elephant in the room in US at the moment, COVID-19 response, under the Biden administration,
has seen a considerable upheaval, with vaccination constantly on the rise and cases
coming down. Biden would likely not let go of the platform without summarising
the response so far, while outlining strategies lying ahead for his government,
through both legislative and medical channels.

·       
Economy: ‘Build back better’ was the Democrat’s catchline
when he went up against former president Donald Trump, and economic revival,
and seemingly, he has started acting on it. Weeks back, on March 31, Biden
unveiled a huge $2 trillion plan to upgrade and overhaul the country’s
infrastructure, including measures such as reportedly rebuilding 20,000 miles
of roads, repairs to 10 most economically important bridges in US, as well as other
measures to create a large number of jobs in coming years.

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·       
Diplomatic hurdles: Whether it is Middle East or
Afghanistan, key issues would likely find a place in Biden’s address.
Withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and eventually leaving the country’s security
responsibility on the Afghan forces, protests and unrest in Hong Kong, or the
military rule in Myanmar are things the President could touch upon as international
imperatives.

·       
Special guests: Last year, former president
Donald Trump brought in a mother-daughter duo from Philadelphia as his special
guests during his State of the Union address, as well as renowned radio
personality and political commentator Rush Limbaugh. He presented a scholarship
to the former as well. Biden, who will probably be bringing guests of his own,
is yet to publicly confirm who it will be.

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The event will see significant difference in arrangements, in contrast to previous years. A limited number of politicians will be allowed on the floor of the House.

Senators and Representatives will not be permitted to invite guests to the event either.