"It's good to be back," said Joe Biden, given a rock star ovation during his speech to Congress in Washington on Wednesday April 28.
The US president appeared before a specially selected audience to comply with the restrictive measures linked to the coronavirus epidemic, made up of Democrats and Republicans.
For the first time in history, two women had taken their places behind him, in the field of the cameras: Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House, and Kamala Harris, who in January became the first woman to become vice-president.
"It was about time," he said after introducing them.
From the podium, the Democratic president praised the "extraordinary progress" made in the United States during its first 100 days in office in the face of the health and economic crises.
"I can say that America is moving forward (...) A hundred days ago, the house was on fire", but it "is ready to take off again" thanks to the bailouts and reforms adopted since, he assured.
Very theatrical, he has multiplied the anecdotes of Americans he has met or who have written to him.
Among these successes, the Head of State insisted on the "logistics" of vaccination.
He recalls that there were more people vaccinated than promised.
More than 96 million people, or nearly 30% of the population, are considered fully vaccinated.
"Go get the Americans vaccinated, everyone has access," he insists.
A plan for employment
Once this record has been trumpeted, the president spoke of the future.
And for him, it involves job creation to modernize roads, build bridges and airports ...
He then praised a new spending and tax credit plan, which, together with the infrastructure development project, totaled approximately $ 4 trillion.
He intends to include women: "2 million (of them) lost their jobs during the pandemic".
In addition, he advocates a minimum wage of $ 15 an hour.
"No one working 40 hours a week should be below the poverty line."
In front of his audience, he also defended that it is necessary to "buy American to create jobs in the United States".
"We are competing with China and other countries to win the 21st century. We must do more than rebuild, we must rebuild better."
This economic recovery will go through the fight against climate change.
"When I think of climate change, I think of jobs."
A plan for families
Interrupted by the incessant applause, the American president insisted on improving the health system and reducing child poverty by 50%.
"Health should be a right not a privilege".
He declined his "Project for American Families", totaling nearly $ 1,800 billion over 10 years, which includes free for the first two years of kindergarten and also for two years of study. in community universities, 12 weeks of sick days per year, as well as tax credits for families with children.
The plan, which already arouses the ire of Republicans, is ambitious: 1,000 billion in investments, particularly in education, and 800 billion in tax cuts for the middle class it wants to "defend".
To finance it, without increasing the deficit, the Democrat proposes to cancel the tax cuts for the richest voted under Donald Trump and to increase taxes on capital income for the wealthiest Americans.
"It is time for American companies and the richest 1% of Americans to start paying their fair share," said the Democrat.
With a promise hammered out in all tones: no American earning less than $ 400,000 a year will see their taxes increase.
This speech also marks the beginning of a bitter fight in Congress: discussions on its gigantic investment plans in infrastructure and education are expected to be stormy.
Joe Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to move beyond partisan positions.
"Doing nothing is not an option for me," he pleads.
Diplomatic firmness
For more than an hour, he also discussed subjects that were part of his campaign promises: to continue the fight against climate change, but also legislation to protect "dreamers".
Returning to another hot topic of society, the president called on the Senate to adopt in May a vast project of police reform, on the occasion of the anniversary of the death of the African-American George Floyd, under the knee of a white policeman.
On the diplomatic front, Joe Biden hammered home his firmness vis-à-vis Beijing and Moscow, while saying he was ready for dialogue.
Assuring not "to seek the conflict with China", he insisted on the fact that he was "ready to defend American interests in all fields".
With AFP
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