President Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address on Tuesday amid rising inflation and growing fatigue as the coronavirus pandemic is set to enter its third year and as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine.
Those are expected to be top issues in his speech, and he is also likely to talk about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, his recently announced pick to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
The speech comes as a majority of Americans say Biden’s first year was a failure — and as the midterm elections loom.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will deliver the Republican response after Biden’s speech. Reynolds gained national attention for her response to the coronavirus pandemic, which ran counter to many of the measures promoted by Biden.