Biden To Make Play For Center Ground In State Of The Union Speech

21:00 ET 02:00 GMT: President Joe Biden will make a play for the political centre ground when he delivers his State of the Union speech in front of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives this evening.

• Biden will tout low unemployment, improved inflation data, and increased optimism that the US will avoid a recession as a sign his policies are working.
• He will deflect criticism from a hawkish Capitol Hill that his administration is soft on China following the Chinese spy balloon incident.
• NEC Director Brian Deese said Biden, “understands that we have a lot more work to do when it comes to the economy” and Biden will assert that the "big three" Democrat legislation – IRA, CHIPS, and Infrastructure Act – will begin to impact Americans positively in 2023.
• Biden will stress the debt limit must never be used as a bargaining chip and challenge an "extreme" GOP to "step up and work with him" to resolve the standoff.
• Biden is also expected to push for stricter gun control, universal pre-K, child care, and other social spending priorities that will gain little movement in the split Congress but will likely underpin a 2024 campaign.