President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address next week is expected to describe an economy that is thriving under his leadership, and Vice President Kamala Harris will make a trip to Atlanta the day after to reinforce that point.
During his remarks Tuesday night, Biden is expected to celebrate what he views as indicators of a successful presidency after two years in office while also outlining how he will address pressing issues such as the debt ceiling, immigration, police accountability and rising prices. The speech, which will likely be watched by tens of millions, is considered a key step toward Biden’s expected launch of a 2024 reelection campaign.
On the economy, he is expected to highlight how average wages have increased and inflation has fallen while unemployment remains low. Biden will also speak about how the implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure law and other legislation he signed into law will bring resources to cities and states to improve roads and bridges, boost domestic manufacturing and create green energy programs.
It is this economic message that Harris will champion when she travels to Atlanta on Wednesday. Details about where and when she will be speaking have not yet been released.
Harris will be making her first trip to the region since January 2022, when she and Biden spoke about voting rights and backed federal election legislation. The measures stalled after Senate Republicans used the filibuster to block floor votes, and some activists criticized the president and vice president for delivering speeches without a clear path forward to get voting laws passed.
Neither Biden nor Harris campaigned with Georgia Democrats in the months leading up to the 2022 midterm elections. The only Democrat to win statewide, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, played up his willingness to criticize the White House and work across the aisle with Republicans.
Soon after winning his December runoff, Warnock welcomed Biden to Atlanta.
The president delivered the Sunday morning message on Jan. 15 at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Warnock is pastor. The day commemorated what would have been the 94th birthday of the church’s former pastor, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
