By Miriam Raftery; Jonathan Goetz contributed to this report

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“My purpose tonight is to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this is no ordinary moment...What makes our moment rare is that freedom and democracy are under attack at — both at home and overseas at the very same time.” -- President Joe Biden

March 9, 2024 (Washington D.C.) – In a powerful State of the Union speech, President Joe Biden announced his intent to “both wake up Congress and alert the American people” about threats to our democracy at home and abroad.  He likened the global threat to 1941, when President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress with a warning while Hitler on the march and war raged in Europe. Biden warned of Russia’s threats to the free world, as well as threats to freedoms in the U.S.

In addition, Biden  touted historic economic gains, plans for a mortgage tax credit, a goal to cut more prescription drug costs, and a goal to further reduce the deficit by increasing taxes on wealthy individuals earning over $400,000  whose taxes were cut by the Trump administration.  He called on Congress to pass aid to Ukraine and a bipartisan border security and immigration reform bill, also announcing emergency orders for the military to build a pier to bring more humanitarian aid to Gaza.