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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, 7:07 PM EDT

Security heightened for joint address after Jan. 6 riot

Biden's joint address, which under normal circumstances would be a large and celebratory occasion in Washington, has been reshaped by both COVID-19 and lingering security concerns following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

U.S. Capitol Police Officers review safety procedures in the visitor center of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, April 28, 2021.
Bloomberg via Getty Images

It will also be the first time that many House lawmakers will return to the chamber gallery, where some of them sheltered in place in January when pro-Trump rioters swarmed the Capitol.

"I'm sure I will have some strong emotions because that was such a dramatic moment for all of us," Rep. Ann Kuster, D-N.H., told ABC News. "Most of us … thought we were going to die that day in the chamber."

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel

Apr 28, 2021, 6:47 PM EDT

Scott to criticize Biden economy in GOP response

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., tapped to deliver the GOP response to Biden's address, is set to tout the success of the economy before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to excerpts released Wednesday night.

Scott will say that the best future from America will not come from "socialist dreams," but from the American people.

"Just before COVID, we had the most inclusive economy in my lifetime," Scott said in the excerpt. "The lowest unemployment ever recorded for African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. The lowest for women in nearly 70 years. Wages were growing faster for the bottom 25% than the top 25%. That happened because Republicans focused on expanding opportunity for all Americans. We passed Opportunity Zones, criminal justice reform, and permanent funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities for the first time ever. We fought the drug epidemic, rebuilt our military, and cut taxes for working families and single moms like mine."

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."

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