Carolyn Kaster / AP
Traditionally, a presidential joint address to Congress is marked by a packed House chamber with a guest list that can total 1,600 people, including members, high-ranking officials and their guests.
But that won t be the case Wednesday night. This administration is very conscious of COVID and wants to set an example for the country, said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. So we re going to be indoors and I m sure there will be strong social distancing.
It will mark Biden s first joint address to Congress, and it will be unlike any modern presidential speech before lawmakers thanks to pandemic restrictions and new security requirements put in place after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Why Biden s speech before Congress isn t called the State of the Union By Caroline Linton What to expect in Biden s address to Congress
President Biden on Wednesday will deliver a speech before a joint session of Congress, a speech that is typically called the State of the Union. The tradition of a president addressing Congress is set forth in the Constitution, which designates that the president shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.
But Mr. Biden s speech will not be designated a State of the Union address. In fact, the previous six presidents did not call their first message before a joint session of Congress the State of the Union, according to the Congressional Research Office. These speeches, given in the first few months of a new presidency, typically occur soon after the inaugural address. As a result, every presi
Shaken U.S. Capitol on high alert for Biden s first address to Congress
Reuters | Apr 27, 2021 10:44 PM EDT
Security fences, erected following the January 6th attack, are seen surrounding the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S (Photo : REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
President Joe Biden s first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday will take place in a U.S. Capitol on high alert, with memories fresh of the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the building by supporters of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
The crowd inside the Capitol will be a fraction of the hundreds of members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, top government officials and guests who typically attend, to allow for more social distancing in a COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 572,000 Americans.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP
Heightened security imposed after the Jan. 6 riot looms over President Biden s speech to Congress Wednesday, as does the COVID-19 pandemic. About 200 people will attend the event, which ordinarily would have seen 1,600 people. Carolyn Kaster/AP
Traditionally, a presidential joint address to Congress is marked by a packed House chamber with a guest list that can total 1,600 people, including members, high-ranking officials and their guests.
That won t be the case Wednesday night. This administration is very conscious of COVID and wants to set an example for the country, said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats. So we re going to be indoors and I m sure there will be strong social distancing.
USA TODAY
Wednesday night will mark the first time President Joe Biden speaks in front of both houses of Congress as he approaches his 100th day in office.
While Biden s speech on the Congress floor will seem like the State of the Union, it actually is not.
The practice of addressing a joint session of Congress comes straight from Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, which states the president, shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.