Angelo Fichera, D Angelo Gore, Eugene Kiely and Robert Farley
FactCheck.org
In his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Joe Biden got some facts wrong and stretched others, mainly repeated claims we’ve heard before:
Biden said he inherited the “worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.” But when he took office, the economy had recovered some from its low point earlier in the pandemic.
He repeated the debunked claim that he had “traveled over 17,000 miles” with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Biden referred to the American Jobs Plan creating “millions of jobs” and generating “trillions of dollars in economic growth.” The jobs estimate is accurate, but economic growth projections are mixed.
Fact-checking Bidenâs address to Congress | PolitiFact
For the most part, Bidenâs statements about his progress and future plans traced to estimates from think tanks or government data.
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In his first speech before Congress, President Joe Biden argued it was time to turn the coronavirus pandemic into a historic opportunity to expand government for the benefit of a wider range of Americans, urging investments in jobs, climate change, child care, infrastructure and more.
Biden said that taxes should be increased on corporations and the wealthy to pay for new spending, as well as to address escalating inequality.
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Emily Knowles sits outside her apartment in Watertown, Mass. Knowles has some college credits but no degree and works as a quality assurance analyst at Ovia Health, a Boston-based digital company that serves people who are starting families. This is something that I never thought would be possible, Knowles said. Meredith Nierman/GBH News
toggle caption Meredith Nierman/GBH News
Emily Knowles sits outside her apartment in Watertown, Mass. Knowles has some college credits but no degree and works as a quality assurance analyst at Ovia Health, a Boston-based digital company that serves people who are starting families. This is something that I never thought would be possible, Knowles said.
No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it’s about time.
Biden was addressing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first and only woman to hold that position – twice – and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to hold that position. Both were sitting behind him, the first time two women have sat behind a President for a joint address toCongress. (Much less two women from California.)
The First Lady.
Mr. Chief Justice.
Of the nine Supreme Court justices, only Chief Justice John Roberts attended. Lots of Democrats would like to expand the size of the Supreme Court, although that’s not something Biden mentioned Wednesday night.