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Biden lays out plan for America 'on the move again' in address to Congress

Sen. Tim Scott delivered the Republican response to Biden's address.

ByMichelle Stoddart and Lauren King
Last Updated: April 29, 2021, 6:21 AM EDT

On his 99th day in office, Biden made the case for his policy agenda and updated the nation in his first address to a joint session of Congress.

Biden finished his speech with a great message of hope for Americans who overcame a year of tumult, saying that he is "more confident or optimistic about America."

"Folks, as I told every world leader I ever met with over the years, it's never ever, ever been a good bet to bet against America and it still isn't," Biden said, to a great round of applause. "There is not a single thing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity. We can do whatever we set our minds to if we do it together. So let's begin to get together."

Sen. Tim Scott’s Republican response followed.

"Our president seems like a good man. His speech was full of good words," Scott said. "But three months in, the actions of the president and his party are pulling us further and further apart."

Following Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress, Vice President Kamala Harris will sit down for an exclusive interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" Thursday.

The latest:

This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
Apr 28, 2021, 6:33 PM EDT

Joint address is a 'critical moment' for Biden

ABC News Political Director Rick Klein said that the president's address is a "critical moment" for Biden and an opportunity for him to talk directly to the American people about what he thinks the government could be doing on ABC News Live's "The Breakdown" Wednesday.

"I'm told he's gonna have a lot of personal language in there, a direct appeal to people about the things that government could be doing to help them live their lives, to end the pandemic, but also help their families--help them get jobs, help them take care of their loved ones," Klein said.

Apr 28, 2021, 6:16 PM EDT

GOP to rebut Biden, take credit for fighting pandemic

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., is set to rebut Biden's address with the argument that many of the successes of the Biden administration are a holdover from former President Donald Trump's pandemic response, according to excerpts from Scott's speech released Wednesday.

Sen. Tim Scott walks through the Senate subway to vote on the Senate floor at the U.S. Capitol on April 28, 2021, in Washington.
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

"This should be a joyful springtime for our nation," Scott said in the excerpt. "This administration inherited a tide that had already turned. The coronavirus is on the run! Thanks to Operation Warp Speed and the Trump administration, our country is flooded with safe and effective vaccines. Thanks to our bipartisan work last year, job openings are rebounding."

Apr 28, 2021, 5:46 PM EDT

Excerpt: Biden makes pitch for infrastructure plan directly to Americans

In another speech excerpt released by the White House this evening, Biden speaks directly to blue-collar workers in making his pitch for his infrastructure legislation.

"Now, I know some of you at home wonder whether these jobs are for you," Biden says. "You feel left behind and forgotten in an economy that’s rapidly changing. Let me speak directly to you. Independent experts estimate the American Jobs Plan will add millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in economic growth for years to come. These are good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced."

Apr 28, 2021, 5:38 PM EDT

Biden speech excerpt: 'Inherited a nation in crisis'

In a speech excerpt released by the White House this evening, Biden discusses the challenges America faced when he took office.

A new photo of Biden reviewing his remarks in the Oval Office was posted to his Twitter account on April 28, 2021.
POTUS/Twitter

"As I stand here tonight, we are just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration. 100 days since I took the oath of office—lifted my hand off our family Bible—and inherited a nation in crisis," Biden said in the excerpt. "The worst pandemic in a century. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.

Now—after just 100 days—I can report to the nation: America is on the move again. Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength," Biden will say.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

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