Between support and criticism, Washington responds to President Biden’s letter and his message to Putin

Title: Between support and criticism, Washington responds to President Biden’s letter and his letter to Putin

SLUG: USA State Nation Feedback

Date: March 2, 2022

Author: IACOPO LUZI

Location: Washington, DC

Video Source: REUTERS, AP, STORYBLOCKS, SKYPE

Duration: 02:17.00

((Enter))

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address presented national unity in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His message to Putin was well received, but criticism on other issues came as well. In the White House, Iacopo Luzi tells us everything.

((PKG))

NAT SOUND BIDEN: “Go get them”

((the writer))

Joe Biden woke up to an encouraging reception in his first State of the Union address, which rapid polls show more than two-thirds of Americans approve of — good news for a president whose ratings remain low.

Biden received at times bipartisan applause on the House floor last night, particularly during his comments on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and President Putin’s maneuvering.

((SOT: Joe Biden, President of the United States))

((Inge: “He thought he could divide us at home, in this room, in this nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe too, but Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united.”))

ESP: “He thought he could divide us at home, in this room, in this nation. He thought he could also divide us in Europe, but Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united.”

((the writer))

Progressive Democrats, however, took a tepid response to domestic elements in Biden’s speech, in which he promised to “fund the police” and avoid more ambitious measures on key issues such as immigration.

((SOT: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York legislator (D)))

(Inge: “And we meet really need to make sure that when we talk about accepting refugees, we mean it to everyone, no matter where you come from. [..]If we give TPS to Ukrainian refugees. This is also an opportunity to finally create a path to citizenship for TPS recipients. Not many people know that TPS recipients generally don’t really have a concrete path toward citizenship, when so many of them have been here for decades.”

Eng: “And we really need to make sure that when we talk about accepting refugees, we mean it for everyone, no matter where you come from. […]If we give TPS to Ukrainian refugees. This is also an opportunity to finally create a path to citizenship for TPS recipients. Not many people know that TPS recipients, in general, do not have a specific pathway to citizenship and when many have been here decades ago.

((the writer))

Republicans have been highly critical of Biden’s speech on issues other than Ukraine. Influential Senator Lindsey Graham said the state of the nation is in grave danger, with inflation still high, borders in crisis and the terrorist threat as real as never before. In fact, a GOP spokesperson said:

((SOT: Jaime Flores, Hispanic Republican Party Spokesperson))

((Inge: “It seemed to us that it was a kind of campaign rhetoric and not that of the current president who really has to offer solutions. He already has a year in office and he’s not just making promises.”))

((the writer))

Meanwhile, the White House has responded to ridicule and attacks from far-right lawmakers Marjorie Taylor Green and Lorraine Poppert.

((NAT voice: “13 of them”))

((STAND-UP: Iacopo Luzi, Voice of America))

Press Secretary Jen Psaki commented that their yelling at the president “says a lot more about them” than it does about the substance of the presidential speech.

From the White House, Iacopo Luzzi, Voice of America