WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday plans to hail the recovery of the U.S. economy and creation of a record 12 million jobs in his State of the Union address, while urging Republicans to stop "fighting for the sake of fighting."
Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives will follow themes he has repeatedly highlighted since taking office.
AMERICA, THE GREAT
"The story of America is a story of progress and resilience…We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again."
"Today, COVID no longer controls our lives. And two years ago, our democracy faced its greatest threat since the Civil War. Today, though bruised, our democracy remains unbowed and unbroken."
THE US ECONOMY
"Two years ago our economy was reeling. As I stand here tonight, we have created a record 12 million new jobs - more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years. Two years ago, COVID had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much."
"My economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten. Amid the economic upheaval of the past four decades, too many people have been left behind or treated like they're invisible."
"Maybe that's you watching at home. You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away. I get it."
"That's why we're building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back, pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America and make a real difference in your lives."
APPEALS TO REPUBLICANS
"To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can't work together in this new Congress. The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere."
"And that's always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America: the middle class, to unite the country. We've been sent here to finish the job!"
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Heather Timmons and Lincoln Feast)
