[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2457-S2458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       State of the Union Address

  Mr. CARDIN. Madam President, on a cold January morning, less than a 
year after being elected our Nation's first President, George 
Washington set out in a carriage drawn by six horses, headed to Federal 
Hall to fulfill his duty under our new Constitution, which read:

       The President shall from time to time give to Congress 
     information of the state of the Union.

  One of the few firsthand accounts of that speech came from Senator 
Maclay, who said:

       The President was dressed in second morning, and read his 
     speech well.

  Not exactly a hot take, but Senator Maclay wasn't one for glowing 
praise.
  More than two centuries later, I had the privilege of watching, from 
a few rows back, as President Biden delivered the State of the Union 
Address earlier this month. And I must tell you: Joe Biden didn't just 
``read his speech well''; he was electrifying. Despite the tremendous 
challenges we face around the world today, I came away feeling 
optimistic about our Nation's future,

[[Page S2458]]

and as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I came away 
strongly supportive of many of the administration's foreign policy 
priorities.
  To appreciate what this President has accomplished, we need to 
remember where he started. We need to remember the uncertainty and 
isolation of the COVID pandemic--a pandemic that experts estimate 
killed almost 30 million people worldwide.
  We need to remember how the global economy was on the brink of 
collapse--supply chains failed; unemployment surged; there were fears 
that we were headed for a repeat of the Great Depression.
  And we need to remember, from ASEAN to NATO, the disenchantment of 
our allies. One senior European diplomat said back in 2020:

       The transatlantic relationship has never been this bad. The 
     trust between the U.S. and Europe is not there anymore.

  Now, I am not going to sugarcoat the world we face today. The Hamas 
attacks against Israel were one of the worst days in Jewish history, 
and it has led to a terrible humanitarian crisis for the Palestinians 
in Gaza. China's efforts to expand its authoritarian influence stretch 
from the smallest Pacific Island nation to the largest continent in the 
world--Africa. And Putin continues to wage a campaign to restore the 
former Soviet empire and annihilate the Ukrainian nation.
  These are serious threats. To counter them, we need serious American 
leadership around the world, leadership that is rooted in values that 
promote human rights, that defend democracy, and that are driven by 
something I know Joe Biden has--basic decency.
  Sitting and watching the State of the Union, I was struck by the 
strength of President Biden's moral compass. This is not a President 
who stands only for himself; he stands for all of us. This is not a 
President who stands idly by as our climate is destroyed; he has passed 
landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act. This is not a 
President who seeks revenge against public servants for their personal 
views; he revitalizes our foreign policy and national security 
workforce. This is not a President who invites the Russians to do 
``whatever the hell they want'' or threatens to pull out of NATO; he 
brings our allies together to stand up for Ukraine's independence. This 
is not a President who idolizes dictators and encourages autocrats; he 
prioritizes human rights and civil society movements around the world.
  President Biden's foreign policy is focused on the future--a future 
for Europe, whole and free; a future for an Indo-Pacific that is 
thriving and at peace; a future with a two-state solution that gives 
security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians for generations to 
come.
  This will not be easy, but sitting at the State of the Union, I was 
encouraged by the bipartisan support I felt in the room when it came to 
foreign policy. Even Speaker Johnson seemed to be nodding his head as 
the President talked about Ukraine.
  There have been many State of the Union speeches since George 
Washington spoke more than 200 years ago. They have been printed on 
paper, broadcasted over the radio and on television, and shared on 
clips across the internet; but throughout history, Presidents' speeches 
to Congress have given us hope.
  In 1947, at the dawn of the Cold War, President Truman said in his 
State of the Union Address:

       If we maintain and strengthen our cherished ideals, and if 
     we share our great bounty with war-stricken people over the 
     world, then the faith of our citizens in freedom and 
     democracy will be spread over the whole earth.

  This is still true today.
  To the political prisoners in Putin's jails, do not give up hope on 
freedom.
  To the human rights defenders uncovering violence and assassinations, 
do not give up hope for justice.
  To the war-stricken people of the world who are hungry and forced to 
flee their homes, do not give up your hope for democracy.
  To our allies and partners across the globe, know that the United 
States stands with you.
  And remember that if we come together and stand up for each other, we 
can build a world that is safe and peaceful and prosperous.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.