Melina Mara, Associated Press President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of Congress Wednesday in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Andrew Harnik, Associated Press President Joe Biden turns to applaud Vice President Kamala Harris as he speaks to a joint session of Congress Wednesday in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., watches. WASHINGTON â President Joe Biden declared Wednesday night in his first address to a joint session of Congress that "America is rising anew," and pointed optimistically to the nation's emergence from the pandemic as a vital moment to rebuild the U.S. economy and fundamentally transform roles the government plays in American life.