State of the Union: Biden urges bipartisanship to divided Congress

US President Joe Biden called connected Republicans to assistance "finish the job" of delivering for hardworking families, successful his State of the Union address.

The Democrat stressed the value of bipartisanship to a divided Congress wherever the little enclosure present has a Republican majority.

He besides vowed to support US sovereignty successful the aftermath of an incursion by an alleged Chinese spy balloon.

The code was seen arsenic a blueprint for a wide expected 2024 re-election bid.

Mr Biden's 72-minute code connected Tuesday nighttime came arsenic his nationalist support standing hovers adjacent the lowest level of his presidency.

In a rebuttal, Republicans accused Mr Biden's authorities of being much preoccupied with "woke fantasies" than "the hard realities Americans look each day".

Over the president's enarthrosis astatine the rostrum successful the House of Representatives during the code was 1 of his astir vocal critics, the Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Adopting the mantle of uniter-in-chief, Mr Biden extended an olive subdivision to the absorption party, which took implicit the little enclosure of Congress past period with vows to analyse the president's household and Cabinet.

"To my Republican friends, if we could enactment unneurotic successful the past Congress, determination is nary crushed we can't enactment unneurotic successful this caller Congress," said the president, who has antecedently been accused by his opponents of divisive rhetoric.

He added: "We've been sent present to decorativeness the job!"

Mr Biden besides said that 2 years aft supporters of his predecessor Donald Trump rioted astatine the US Capitol, America's ideology was "unbowed and unbroken".

He devoted 1 enactment of the 7,200-word code successful notation to the overseas argumentation imbroglio that has gripped the federation successful caller days: a suspected Chinese spy balloon that crossed US territory earlier the American subject changeable it down disconnected the seashore of South Carolina astatine the weekend.

The president said helium was committed to moving with America's main competitor, adding: "But marque nary mistake: arsenic we made wide past week, if China's threatens our sovereignty, we volition enactment to support our country. And we did."

Republicans person been demanding to cognize wherefore Mr Biden waited a week to act.

The code was airy connected overseas argumentation successful general, with Ukraine - the main taxable of his State of the Union past twelvemonth successful the aftermath of Russia's penetration - getting a little notation towards the extremity of this year's remarks.

The president focused connected home issues, hailing the resilience and spot of the US economy, with unemployment having dropped to a half-century debased successful January and promising signs that the worst ostentation successful 4 decades is cooling. But helium said American families needed much "breathing room".

Mr Biden ticked done a governmental wish-list - including an battle weapons ban, a minimum taxation for billionaires and entree to pre-school for 3 and four-year-olds - though galore of the proposals are apt to spell obscurity successful Congress.

He besides condemned "outrageous" profits by lipid companies, but drew scorn from Republicans successful the enclosure erstwhile helium said: "We're going to request lipid for astatine slightest different decade."

Mr Biden delivered the code to a afloat House featuring high-profile guests - including U2's Bono - and astir each elder subordinate of government.

The 80-year-old president is besides facing questions implicit his quality to service a 2nd statesmanlike term, which would extremity erstwhile helium is 86.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders - the country's youngest governor, champion known for her tenure arsenic property caput to erstwhile President Trump - delivered the Republican effect to the address.

The rebuttal is often delivered by young rising stars successful the absorption enactment and often from extracurricular Washington.

Mrs Sanders said: "Most Americans simply privation to unrecorded their lives successful state and peace, but we are nether onslaught successful a left-wing civilization warfare we didn't commencement and ne'er wanted to fight."