Pelosi invites Biden to give State of the Union address on March 1

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday invited President Biden to deliver his first State of the Union address on March 1.

“Indeed, this past year has been historic: with the life-saving American Rescue Plan, once-in-a-century Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and, soon, the truly transformational Build Back Better Act!” Pelosi wrote in a letter to Biden. “In that spirit, I am writing to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 1, to share your vision of the State of the Union.”

The White House did not immediately confirm whether Biden would accept the invitation. 

Biden delivered an address in April to a joint session of Congress laying out his agenda and vision for the nation roughly 100 days after he took office. But this year’s speech would be his first formal State of the Union, when the president typically recaps the past year’s accomplishments and their agenda for the coming year. 

It’s unclear whether health restrictions would be in place for Biden’s speech, should he deliver it in March and given the state of the coronavirus pandemic. The highly contagious omicron variant has contributed to record-setting infection numbers across the country in recent weeks, and dozens of members of Congress have tested positive in the same time frame.

Last year’s address featured limited attendance, with lawmakers spaced out from one another.

The past year has seen Biden sign a $1.9 trillion economic rescue package passed by congressional Democrats, as well as a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure bill that received bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress.

The president is still hoping to see his Build Back Better agenda passed, but Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) in particular has proven to be a roadblock to passing the expansive bill that includes funding for climate programs, family care, child care and health care programs.