A world of change: Biden seeks his footing as his agenda and the landscape are transformed

Everything has changed.

President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday night was dominated by topics he scarcely mentioned in his first speech to a joint session of Congress a year ago – issues of inflation at home and Russian aggression abroad, on which his presidency will be judged.

Speaking at length and with emotion, the president described Moscow's invasion of Ukraine as a historic challenge to European stability and security that demanded a strong and united response. As Biden climbed to the dais in the House of Representatives, Kyiv braced for an all-out Russian assault that could lead to the occupation of the capital and the overthrow of the nation's democratically elected government.

Biden announced he would close U.S. airspace to Russian planes, and he said economic sanctions were squeezing the Russian economy and President Vladimir Putin.

“Throughout our history we’ve learned this lesson: When dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,” Biden declared. “They keep moving. And the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.” 

State of the Union updates: Biden aims to reset presidency, addresses Russian invasion of Ukraine

He said U.S. forces would defend NATO allies in the region if Putin "decides to keep moving west," but he reiterated that American troops would not battle Russian forces in Ukraine, a confrontation that analysts warn could spark World War III. Though he praised the fierce resistance of the Ukrainians, he cautioned that Russia is likely to make gains on the battlefield.

"The Ukrainians are fighting back with pure courage," he said. "But the next few weeks, months, will be hard on them." 

In last year's speech, Biden's foreign policy focus was on his promise to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan; he never referred to Ukraine and mentioned Russia just once. This time, he never mentioned Afghanistan and that troubled withdrawal; the only foreign policy challenge he mentioned was the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

That was not the speech the White House had in the works weeks ago, one that was supposed to reset a struggling presidency. Though Biden pointed to historic job creation and robust economic growth, the highest levels of inflation in decades have sapped the confidence of many Americans. In a Paste BN/Suffolk University Poll released this week, a majority describe the economy as in a depression or recession.

Confidence in Biden has sagged, too, to 39% approval, the lowest of any president at this point in his term except Donald Trump. By 2-1, Americans say Biden is not a strong leader.

In his address – delivered to what is likely to be his biggest audience of the year – Biden did all he could to project crispness and command. He spoke with energy in a speech that stretched past an hour. He largely stuck to the script on the teleprompter, avoiding his regular interjections of "no joke" and "I mean it" in extemporaneous remarks. He took credit for a united response by the world that he said may have surprised Putin.

"We prepared extensively and carefully," Biden said. "I spent countless hours unifying our European allies."  

Inflation: 'Lower your costs, not your wages'

Biden signaled a new focus on inflation, a word he didn't mention in his speech a year ago. 

No more. "Lower your costs, not your wages," he promised, outlining a string of specific proposals he said would help. He acknowledged, albeit in passing, that efforts to punish Putin are likely to drive up energy and food costs in the USA and elsewhere. 

"A Russian dictator, invading a foreign country, has costs around the world, and I'm taking robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at Russia's economy," he said. That should help "blunt" gas prices here, he said, but he admitted that the news about what's ahead "can seem alarming."

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"But I want you to know that we are going to be OK," he said.

Biden described a new chapter in the battle against COVID-19. After two years of social distancing, mask mandates and remote schooling, he said the falling rates of hospitalization and the millions of Americans who have been vaccinated mean the nation is ready to return, carefully, "to more normal routines."

The evidence of that was on his face: He didn't wear a protective mask. Neither did Vice President Kamala Harris or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, seated behind him. Only a handful of lawmakers in the chamber wore masks, and about half of the seats in the chamber were taken.

That was a major change from last year's speech.   

The state of the Democratic Party also has changed since he stood at the dais a year ago. 

Then, Democrats were largely united behind an ambitious White House legislative agenda that included a liberal wish list of social spending and climate change initiatives. Biden called it "Build Back Better," which became the name of a massive measure that has stalled in the Senate.

This time, Biden never said the phrase "Build Back Better" or mentioned the possibility of passing the proposals together in a single huge bill. Instead, he ticked off support for a laundry list of programs included in it, such as national prekindergarten and a child tax credit, without explaining just how they might be passed.

He was careful to pair liberal proposals with the concerns of more moderate and independent voters. He mentioned not only the need to overhaul the immigration system, for instance, but also to secure the border. 

“We should all agree: The answer is not to ‘Defund the Police,’” he said in a rebuke to the party's most left-leaning voices. “The answer is to fund the police with the resources and training they need to protect our communities.” Some of the most liberal Democrats in the House, including Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, didn't stand and applaud for that.

After the speech, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds delivered the traditional Republican response. What was less traditional were formal responses announced beforehand and delivered afterward by three fellow Democrats, a display of the party's fractures as difficult midterm elections loom in November.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan spoke on behalf of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Rep. Colin Allred of Texas on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey spoke on a panel hosted by No Labels, a centrist group.

"My report is this: The State of the Union is strong – because you, the American people, are strong," Biden said in his closing. "We are stronger today than we were a year ago, and we will be stronger a year from now than we are today."

Who knows what the political landscape will look like then?