For all the latest developments in Congress, follow WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller at Today on the Hill.
President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address was one of the most partisan many in Congress can remember.
That’s not surprising, given the fact that the 2024 presidential ballot is set for a rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump.
It’s rare for a president to give a State of the Union address during an election year, when the political field has already been winnowed to two candidates.
In this case, two candidates who many voters would like to slip into their golden years of retirement rather than running for the White House.
Republicans have blasted the president’s address as divisive, and some say it’s the worst one they’ve ever heard.
But Democrats are happy — and in some cases relieved — that the president summoned his scrappy political background as “Lunch Bucket Joe,” who grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Many Democrats have been worried by the latest polls, which show the president trailing Trump.
But congressional Democrats from the D.C. area, interviewed about the upcoming presidential campaign, say they remain confident that Biden can regain his political footing.
“I don’t think we’re bed-wetting at all,” said Rep. Don Beyer, D-Virginia, referring to a metaphor often raised about Democrats’ tendency to worry about their candidates.
“First of all, most of us are ignoring the polls,” he said. “They’ve been wrong again and again.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, has been involved in a lot of campaigns and fundraising over the years.
“Polls will go up and down. But I am confident that when people focus on the choice they have here, they will pick Joe Biden,” Van Hollen said. “As the president himself often says, ‘Don’t compare me to the Almighty, compare me to the alternative.’ ”
Van Hollen said this presidential campaign will be all about voters making a choice between two men who have both served in the White House.
Biden effectively kicked off his campaign in his State of the Union address, before a large television audience. He repeatedly criticized the former president, but only referred to him as “my predecessor,” not by name.
While Democrats are pleased with the feistiness Biden showed during his address, his approval rating remains low — just under 40%.
Republicans believe Biden is highly vulnerable on issues, including the border crisis and lingering concerns about inflation.
“Joe Biden has made our communities less safe,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia. “He’s done this through a wide-open border that I’ve visited twice.”
Kiggans said she worries about the economic future of her children.
“We’re in an economic crisis that has taken away the American dream from so many families,” she said.
Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, acknowledged trips to the grocery store and the gas station remain economically painful for many households.
“Those two items (food and gas prices) have been very tough to get down,” he said. “But the economy is good.”
Hoyer points to rising stock prices on Wall Street, as an indication of confidence in the economy, as well as the creation of 15 million jobs over the past three years.
Politically, he believes things will gradually turn in Biden’s favor.
“Right now, his poll numbers are low,” he said, noting that’s a cause for concern. “But quite frankly, I trust the American people. I think the American people are going to make a wise judgment.”
Hoyer said he believes that “wise judgment” is choosing to reelect Biden.
Republicans, such as Kiggans, feel that will be returning to Trump, who they praise for his border policies and presiding over a period of economic prosperity before the pandemic.
“Elections are about choices,” Van Hollen said. “They’re about who you want to represent the country for the future.”
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