Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients, pictured with President Biden in February 2023, spoke to NPR’s Morning Edition forward of the president’s 2024 State of the Union handle.

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Chief of Staff Jeffrey Zients, pictured with President Biden in February 2023, spoke to NPR’s Morning Edition forward of the president’s 2024 State of the Union handle.

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

President Joe Biden’s pitch to 2024 voters will get an excellent greater highlight on Thursday evening, when he delivers his State of the Union handle earlier than a joint session of Congress.

The handle comes proper on the heels of Super Tuesday, the outcomes of which all but guarantee a rematch between Biden and former president Donald Trump in November. And it is a chance for Biden to focus on his administration’s accomplishments to date, constructing off of last year’s refrain: “let’s finish the job.”

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients advised Morning Edition‘s Steve Inskeep on Wednesday that Biden’s speech can even spotlight his agenda for a possible second time period.

“Lowering costs, continuing to make people’s lives better by investing in childcare, eldercare, paid family and medical leave, continued progress on student debt,” Zients stated, itemizing just a few. “But I think importantly, the president is also going to call for restoring Roe v. Wade and giving women freedom over their healthcare. And he’ll talk about protecting, not taking away, freedoms in other areas, as well as voting rights.”

But Zients additionally acknowledged that restoring Roe is certainly one of many targets that the president cannot accomplish with out Congress.

In a interval marked by congressional instability, infighting and partisanship, Republican lawmakers have blocked overseas assist for Ukraine and Israel in addition to a would-be landmark border security bill — partly due to Trump’s vocal opposition (which Biden has steered is an effort to spice up his personal reelection odds).

Zients acknowledged “it’s going to be difficult” for Congress to maneuver ahead on main points, and stated Biden will use his handle to induce lawmakers to behave with urgency.

National polls underscore Americans’ widespread lack of enthusiasm for both candidate, but in addition present Trump with a narrow lead over Biden of their anticipated 2024 matchup.

It’s towards this backdrop that Biden will assume the rostrum on the U.S. Capitol to make his case — each to voters at residence and lawmakers within the room.

Support for Ukraine is a ‘no-brainer’

Zients stated Congress should act urgently on a number of main points, together with passing the $118 billion nationwide safety supplemental settlement — which incorporates funding for Israel and Ukraine — and approving assets and insurance policies to handle the border.

The supplemental handed within the Senate on a bipartisan foundation with 70 votes, and is awaiting additional motion by House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said last month that “the House will have to continue to work on its own will on these important matters.”

Zients confused the urgency behind the invoice, arguing that Russia’s invasion has put Ukraine in addition to Europe at giant “at risk” and that U.S. assist is important.

“I’ll let the speaker speak for himself, but what I do know is the need is urgent and there’s bipartisan support in the House, and if it’s brought to the floor, it’ll be passed into law,” Zients stated. “And I believe that’s what needs to happen. And you’re going to hear the president push Congress to do just that in the State of the Union.”

More than two years into Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, U.S. assist for extra navy assist has dwindled — particularly among Republican voters and lawmakers — however stays a key precedence for Biden and the Democratic Party.

Zients stated Biden, his workforce and lots of members of the House and Senate are “working every angle” to get Ukraine the assets it wants. He stated assist from different allies is not any substitute for the navy assets that the U.S. is “uniquely positioned” to supply, to its personal financial profit.

“Look, this is a no brainer,” Zients added. “We need to defend democracy here at home and we need to create jobs here at home. And we need to lead the world as we always have.”

Biden cannot act alone on the border

Immigration has turn into a high situation within the 2024 race, with each Biden and Trump making dueling visits to Texas border communities final week to stipulate their competing visions for tips on how to handle the inflow of migrants searching for asylum within the U.S.

Zients accused some Republicans of prioritizing chaos over order on the border, and stated the Biden administration cannot “manage the border in an orderly way” with out assist from Congress.

That, he stated, would take the type of coverage adjustments and extra assets, similar to Border Patrol brokers and asylum officers.

“The president has done many executive actions at the border,” Zients added — nearly 300 in Biden’s first year alone. “There’s no executive action that replaces the need for the resources, and also the changes in law to asylum and an emergency order to close down the border, that needs legislation.”

The administration defends its method to the Israel-Hamas conflict

Biden can also be anticipated to debate the continued battle in Gaza, the place Israel’s navy response to the Oct. 7 Hamas assault has killed greater than 30,700 Palestinians and displaced greater than 75% of the population.

His administration’s response has angered many inside the president’s occasion, from the hundreds of voters checking “uncommitted” in protest over his dealing with of the Israel-Hamas conflict to different discouraged Democrats who may not vote at all.

Critics of Biden’s response to the battle need a everlasting ceasefire in Gaza, an finish to unconditional U.S. navy assist to Israel and a transparent path to Palestinian statehood. After greater than 13% of Michigan voters voted “uncommitted” within the major, the Biden campaign told NPR that the president had “received that message many, many times.”

Zients stated Biden will clarify that Israel has the proper to guard its folks and “degrade Hamas,” whereas additionally addressing the toll on harmless civilians in Gaza.

“He will talk about his work day and night, and his team’s work, to negotiate an immediate cease-fire for at least six weeks, secure the release of the hostages, get more humanitarian aid in and hopefully be on a path to a possible end to fighting,” Zients stated. “And he’ll talk about, as he has the last several months, in the last many years, about enduring peace in the region and the need for a two-state solution, peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia.”

Inskeep requested if such a settlement can be potential beneath the right-wing authorities of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom Biden’s rift appears to be growing publicly. Zients replied that Biden will proceed to work with Israel and Arab nations to perform these objectives.

The broadcast interview was produced by Lilly Quiroz and Milton Guevara, and edited by Mohamad ElBardicy. The digital model was edited by Olivia Hampton.