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."
"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.
This is a developing story. Please check for updates.
Apr 28, 2021, 10:14 PM EDT
Biden says insurrection was 'test' of democracy
Biden said that the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6 was an "existential crisis" and a "test" to democracy, and he said that America's enemies were betting that Americans could not overcome divisions.
"They believe we’re too full of anger and division and rage," Biden said. "They look at the images of the mob that assaulted the Capitol as proof that the sun is setting on American democracy. But they're wrong. You know it. I know it."
Apr 28, 2021, 10:12 PM EDT
Biden takes credit for vaccine rollout, but supply always expected to expand
Biden is correct that his administration has made great strides in the vaccine rollout, but the credit isn’t entirely his. While his numbers are accurate, they miss critical context.
“When I was sworn in on Jan. 20, less than 1% of the seniors in America were fully vaccinated against COVID-19,” he said. “One hundred days later, 70% of seniors in America over 65 are protected.”
President Joe Biden addresses a joint session of congress in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol, April 28, 2021, in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
When Biden took office on Jan. 20, only two vaccines -- Pfizer and Moderna -- had been authorized for a little more than a month. Supply was low early on, but always expected to ramp up through spring.
The Trump administration had initiated government contracts with the vaccine makers, and tapped the military to help oversee distribution. Trump aides also set up the program for some 40,000 pharmacies to deliver the vaccinations -- a program Biden referenced in his speech.
Biden has since relied on those Trump-era contracts and pharmacy program to expand vaccinations to Americans.
Where Biden can take credit: Expanding government contracts with vaccine makers to buy more doses. He also set up federally run mass vaccination sites, as well as mobile clinics, with a focus on hard-hit areas. And he’s partnered with community centers to help deliver the vaccine in disadvantaged communities.
-ABC News' Anne Flaherty
Apr 28, 2021, 10:08 PM EDT
Biden calls for lowering prescription drug prices
When lowering prescription drug prices and lowering the Medicare age eligibility didn't make it into the president's American Families Plan, many in Washington assumed those would not be priorities Biden would push this year -- the omission an implicit acknowledgment that he can't get them done.
But, Biden did include both items in his address, perhaps an olive branch to frustrated progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt..
"Let's lower deductibles for working families on the Affordable -- in the Affordable Care Act. And let's lower prescription drug costs," Biden said.
He even cited former President Donald Trump here, without mentioning him by name.
"We know how to do this. The last president had that as an objective," he said.
"Let's give medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower drug prescription prices," Biden continued, saying the billions saved could fund an expansion of Medicare.
-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky
Apr 28, 2021, 10:07 PM EDT
Some Republicans not on board as Biden touts accomplishments
While Biden boasts about his accomplishments in his first 100 days and laid out his infrastructure proposal, some Republicans in the House chamber -- and outside of it -- are not on board.
Republican Senators Mike Lee, Shelly Moore Capito, Ted Cruz and Jim Risch listen to President Joe Biden deliver his first address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress inside the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, April 28, 2021.
Jonathan Ernst/Pool via Reuters
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is among those who took issue with the infrastructure policy, calling it "wasteful" in a tweet Wednesday night.
"The Real State of the Union: Biden wants to increase taxes to pay for his radical proposals," Cruz said in a tweet. "Clearly, he doesn’t understand the impact tax hikes have on hardworking Americans and their families."
