President Biden Delivers First Official State of the Union Address

On March 1, President Biden delivered his first official State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. Biden began his nearly 62-minute speech vowing to confront Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Among other things, the president outlined a number of retaliatory actions that the United States would take, including an announcement that the U.S. would close its airspace to Russian airlines.

Aside from his opening comments on the conflict in Ukraine, the speech largely focused on domestic issues, with a particular emphasis on the state of the economy. Biden pledged that the administration’s top priority this year would be to aggressively confront inflation. Specifically, Biden called on Congress to support a series of economic initiatives, many of which have already been proposed as part of his Build Back Better plan. This includes efforts to provide monthly tax payments for families with children, reforms to lower prescription drug prices, and legislation to raise the minimum wage. He also called for efforts to bolster U.S. manufacturing, shore up supply chains, and reduce the federal budget deficit.

With regard to the pandemic, Biden called on Congress to dedicate new funding for COVID-19 initiatives, including efforts to prepare for the arrival of any new variant. In addition, the president touted the progress the country has made in reducing COVID-19 cases, going so far as to urge people who have been working from home during the pandemic to return to their offices. He also announced that one million of Pfizer’s new antiviral pills will be available later this month and more the following month. Additionally, the U.S. will launch a new “Test to Treat” initiative so that individuals can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they’re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost.

Prior to closing out his speech, Biden offered a “Unity Agenda for the Nation,” in which he outlined four key priorities. He outlined ways in which Congress could tackle the opioid epidemic, which includes increasing funding for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery. He also encouraged lawmakers and other American families to take on mental health, as well as support the nation’s veterans. Finally, Biden proposed a goal of reducing the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.

Providing the Republican response to the president’s address was Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. She sharply criticized President Biden and congressional Democrats for pursuing policies that she argued have led to inflation, rising crime, and the conflict in Ukraine. The governor also was critical of how Democrats have handled the pandemic response.

Senator Padilla Introduces Legislation to Address Homelessness and Affordable Housing

On February 25, Senator Alex Padilla unveiled comprehensive legislation to address homelessness and affordable housing. Joining Senator Padilla at a press conference in Sacramento to announce the bill was CSAC President Ed Valenzuela and several other representatives of key stakeholder organizations.

The measure, entitled the Housing for All Act of 2022, would address the nation’s affordable housing shortage by, among other things, investing in the National Housing Trust Fund, which distributes revenue to build, maintain and renovate housing for extremely low-income people. The legislation also would expand the federal investment in other key programs, including the HOME Investment Partnerships program, the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities program.

In an effort to reduce homelessness, the Housing for All Act would provide additional federal spending for Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, the Emergency Solutions Grant Program (which helps with street outreach, rapid re-housing assistance, emergency shelter, and homelessness prevention), and Continuums of Care.

Finally, the legislation would direct federal dollars toward a number of innovative, community-driven solutions, including funding to convert hotels and motels to permanent supportive housing. The bill also would authorize funding for a variety of grant programs, including those that provide eviction protection, support mobile crisis intervention teams, and offer a safe place to park overnight. A one-page summary of the legislation can be accessed here and a section-by-section breakdown of the bill is available here. Congressmen Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) will sponsor the companion legislation in the House.