Why hasn't Joe Biden given his SOTU address yet? Internet says 'reading and speaking at same time' beyond him
President Joe Biden was expected to have delivered his first State of the Union speech or addressed the Congress in some way by now, and netizens are wondering why he hasn't done so.
The Associated Press previously reported that Biden was supposed to have had a SOTU address by Tuesday. “US President Joe Biden is expected to deliver the annual State of the Union address on 23 February 2021 (date is still to be confirmed),” the AP reported.
It's also worth noting that the president is entitled to give his SOTU address whenever he or she wants. In fact, they can even choose to not have an address at all, as Jimmy Carter did in 1977, or submit one in writing, as Carter did in 1981.
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According to Trending Politics, however, Biden will have waited the longest period of time a president has in the last three decades to give his first State of the Union address if he doesn't give one before Sunday.
America is in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic, a tense political discourse post the Capitol riots, as well as the killer freeze that engulfed more than half the nation. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has sparked controversy after issuing an unprecedented barrage of executive orders. Recently, it was speculated that Biden may give his State of the Union address online, with several social media users questioning his physical capacity to give one.
"Why hasn't Biden given a State of the Union address?" one wrote. "Does it involve reading and speaking at the same time?" another quipped. "1. He would be up past his bedtime 2. They have to figure out how to keep him standing that long. 3. See posts 1 and 2!" a third added. "Joe Biden isn't giving a State of The Union address because his brain is mush," another wrote.
Why hasn't Biden given a State of the Union address?
— Susan St. James (@SusanStJames3_) February 24, 2021
1. He would be up past his bedtime 2. They have to figure out how to keep him standing that long. 3. See posts 1 and 2!
— WestChestertonfieldville (@WestChersterti1) February 24, 2021
Joe Biden isn't giving a State of The Union address because his brain is mush.
— thebradfordfile (@thebradfordfile) February 25, 2021
The US Constitution says the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." However, it does not set a timeline, USA Today reported.
The outlet noted the recent tradition of presidents delivering a message to a joint session of Congress, albeit not an official SOTU speech, in their inauguration year. According to the Congressional Research Center, the previous six presidents have done that. Former President Donald J. Trump did not deliver a State of the Union in 2017, but instead gave an “Address Before a Joint Session of Congress.”
On February 16, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden's first appearance before Congress “was never planned to be in February,” despite Biden saying last month that it would be, Axios reported.
On February 11, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a joint session is not likely to convene until Congress passes a COVID-19 relief bill. This could potentially delay Biden's first address until March, according to Roll Call. “We won’t be doing any of that until we pass our COVID bill. That’s the first order of business,” Pelosi told reporters.