McCarthy Invites Biden To Deliver State Of The Union Address

 President Joe Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union address next month following an invitation by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

McCarthy, who was voted speaker by his peers less than a week ago, issued a letter to Biden on Friday that set February 7 as the date for the president to deliver his speech before a joint session of Congress.

“It is my solemn obligation to invite the president to speak before a Joint Session of Congress on February 7th so that he may fulfill his duty under the Constitution to report on the state of the union,” McCarthy said in a tweet.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden accepted the invitation.

“We have received Speaker McCarthy’s kind invitation and the president has accepted it and looks forward to delivering the State of the Union address,” she told reporters at the White House. “We truly appreciate the kind invitation by Speaker McCarthy.”

The speech will be Biden’s first State of the Union address before a divided Congress, as Republicans won control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections and Democrats kept the Senate. In his letter, McCarthy alluded to actions the GOP-led House is gearing up for over the next two years.

“The new year brings a new Congress, and with it, a responsibility to work towards an economy that is strong, a nation that is safe, a future that is built on freedom, and a government that is accountable,” McCarthy wrote.

Biden may soon announce a 2024 re-election bid, which could set him up for a rematch against former President Donald Trump in the general election.

A recent report from The Hill cited insiders who emphasized February as a month to watch, around the time of the State of the Union.