‘We Want to Stop’ Biden from Delivering State of the Union, Republican Senator Declares
Legislation would have barred president from addressing Congress
President Biden is set to deliver his State of the Union Thursday evening, but Sen Joni Ernst, and some other Republicans, aren't too happy about it.
Having faltered in their baseless drive to impeach Biden, the latest effort to embarrass the president has involved trying to deny him the ability to present his annual address to a joint session of Congress.
Although a requirement that the president “give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union,” is contained in the US Constitution, the tradition of the president delivering that report in person didn't begin until 1913 with President Woodrow Wilson.
In modern times, the necessary invitation to a president by congressional leadership to address a joint session of Congress has been a formality, regardless of the political affiliations of those involved.
This year, however, the junior senator from Iowa, and a group of her fellow Republicans, have been trying to change that as Biden gears up his reelection bid.
Ernst introduced legislation several weeks ago aiming to block Biden's invitation.
Ostensibly, Ernst’s bill — with a House companion led by Rep Buddy Carter, of Georgia — is in protest because Biden is late in submitting to Congress his federal budget proposal and national security strategy for the coming fiscal year.
“It is unfathomable that we do not have a national security strategy from the president, nor do we have his budget for the upcoming fiscal year. And because of that, we want to stop him from actually delivering the State of the Union,” Ernst complained.
However, it’s also likely that election-year politics played a role.
Ernst’s bill likely isn’t going to get very far, and certainly not in time to stop Biden’s speech Thursday at 9 pm ET.
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