Biden Said State of the Union Is Strong and Made Clear His Campaign Is Off and Running

President Joe Biden touted his administration’s accomplishments in well being care in a wide-ranging State of the Union handle on Thursday night that touched on topics resembling immigration, the financial system, crime, job progress, infrastructure, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

With Biden and former President Donald Trump now the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees, Biden used the roughly 68-minute speech to counter his lackluster public approval scores and draw clear contrasts between his administration’s insurance policies and people of Trump and a few congressional Republicans. However he by no means talked about Trump by identify, as an alternative referring to him as his “predecessor.”

Biden got here out swinging, talking about freedom and democracy, and assist for Ukraine and NATO. And he reminded lawmakers that historical past is watching.

Our PolitiFact companions fact-checked the controversy in actual time. Learn the complete protection right here.

Early within the speech, Biden pointed to the current Alabama Supreme Court docket resolution that successfully shut down in vitro fertilization remedies throughout the state, though its governor signed a invoice into legislation March 6 to defend sufferers and suppliers from potential authorized legal responsibility.

Biden challenged his “buddies throughout the aisle” to “assure the appropriate to IVF nationwide,” and linked this concern on to the 2022 Supreme Court docket resolution overturning Roe v. Wade.

White Home friends for the speech included Latorya Beasley of Birmingham, Alabama, whose IVF remedies have been canceled due to her state’s court docket resolution; and Kate Cox, who was denied an emergency abortion by the Texas Supreme Court docket. Members of the Democratic Ladies’s Caucus sat en bloc, carrying white to point out solidarity for reproductive rights. 

“Like most Individuals, I consider Roe v. Wade bought it proper,” Biden mentioned, including that his “predecessor” got here to workplace “decided” to see it overturned and has bragged about its undoing. “Clearly, these bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade don’t have any clue in regards to the energy of girls in America.”

Biden’s different well being care hits included the primary steps in implementing Medicare drug worth negotiations, one thing on Democrats’ longtime coverage want record that grew to become legislation as a part of the Inflation Discount Act he signed in August 2022. He famous that the federal medical health insurance program for seniors is now — for the primary time — negotiating decrease costs for a number of the costliest medication available on the market. He pointed not solely to the financial savings it might convey seniors, but additionally to the federal funds. At present, 10 medication could be added to the record yearly. Biden referred to as for an growth of this system: “Now it’s time to go additional and provides Medicare the ability to barter decrease costs for 500 medication over the subsequent decade.”

He additionally claimed victory with different Medicare-related adjustments in that legislation — together with a $35 insulin worth cap and a $2,000 worth cap on Medicare out-of-pocket drug bills. In every of case, he challenged Congress to behave with him to increase these steps to incorporate everybody.

When it got here to the Inexpensive Care Act, he mentioned it’s “nonetheless a really massive deal” and pledged not solely to guard it, but additionally to increase it by working to make everlasting the tax subsidies first superior on the peak of the covid-19 pandemic to make medical health insurance extra inexpensive.

“My predecessor and plenty of on this chamber wish to take that safety away by repealing the Inexpensive Care Act; I gained’t let that occur,” he mentioned, drawing heckles from opponents within the viewers.

Afterward, some Republicans, together with Home Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), mentioned the handle was overly partisan. Trump slammed it, telling Fox Information that Biden “suffers from a terminal case of Trump derangement syndrome.” And Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) gave the GOP response.  

Listed here are well being care highlights from PolitiFact:

“The Alabama Supreme Court docket shut down IVF remedies throughout the state, unleashed by a Supreme Court docket resolution overturning Roe v. Wade.”

On Feb. 16, the Alabama Supreme Court docket issued a ruling that mentioned frozen embryos needs to be thought of kids.

The choice lacks the ability to close down in vitro fertilization remedies statewide. Nevertheless it prompted a number of clinics within the state to pause IVF remedies as they reviewed the choice and potential liabilities.

Since then, Alabama lawmakers handed laws to defend IVF suppliers from civil or legal legal responsibility in a rush to guard fertility remedies after backlash grew. Two clinics introduced they have been resuming operations after Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the legislation.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ailing.) — who had two daughters utilizing in vitro fertilization — launched an analogous federal invoice geared toward defending IVF. However Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) blocked it Feb. 28, saying it was a “huge overreach that is stuffed with poison tablets that go method too far — far past making certain authorized entry to IVF.”

“When you, the American individuals, ship me a Congress that helps the appropriate to decide on, I promise you: I’ll restore Roe v. Wade because the legislation of the land once more.”

PolitiFact continues to price Biden’s promise to codify Roe v. Wade as “Stalled.”

Biden referred to as on Congress to assist him obtain his 2020 marketing campaign promise to codify Roe v. Wade.

He can’t do it alone.

The Supreme Court docket dominated in 2022 to overturn Roe, ending practically 50 years of federally protected abortion entry.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) launched the Ladies’s Well being Safety Act of 2023, which might prohibit governmental restrictions on entry to abortion. Nevertheless it has no Republican co-sponsors and didn’t advance.

PolitiFact has been monitoring Biden’s marketing campaign promise to codify Roe v. Wade, certainly one of about 100 guarantees on the Biden Promise Tracker. The shortage of 10 Republicans wanted to beat an anticipated filibuster has stalled Biden’s efforts on codification. That impediment remained even after Democrats saved slender management of the Senate within the midterms.

“Individuals pay extra for pharmaceuticals than anyplace on the planet.”

PolitiFact rated an analogous declare by Biden as “Largely True.”

U.S. per capita spending on pharmaceuticals is almost thrice the typical of different superior, industrialized nations that comprise the Group for Financial Co-operation and Growth. A examine by the Rand Corp., a nonpartisan analysis group, discovered that, throughout all medication, U.S. costs have been 2.78 instances as excessive because the mixed costs in 33 OECD nations.

The hole was even bigger for brand-name medication, with U.S. costs averaging 4.22 instances as a lot as these compared nations. The U.S. pays lower than comparable nations for unbranded, generic medication, which account for about 90% of crammed prescriptions within the nation but make up solely one-fifth of prescription drug spending.

Researchers say components together with country-specific pricing, confidential rebates, and different reductions can obscure precise costs, making comparisons tougher.