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.
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:
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
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.
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."
Biden warns he'll go it alone because doing nothing 'is not an option'
Biden addressed the fractured nature of Washington, defending his inability to get bipartisan support on his COVID relief bill, or infrastructure plan so far. But Biden offered a warning: that he is still willing to go it alone if compromise can't be reached.
"I like to meet with those who have ideas that are different, that they think are better," Biden said. "I welcome those ideas. But the rest of the world is not waiting for us. I just want to be clear, from my perspective, doing nothing is not an option."
Biden turned to the idea that autocratic leaders believe democracy won't work in the 21st century, saying passing legislation at home is crucial to disproving the despots.
-ABC News Sarah Kolinovsky
Biden calls on wealthy to 'pay their fair share'
Biden said that he thinks it's time for corporations and the wealthiest Americans to pay "their fair share," while acknowledging disagreements within the Democratic Party about taxes on the wealthy.
"Sometimes I have arguments with my friends in the Democratic Party," Biden said. "I think you should be able to become a billionaire and a millionaire, but pay your fair share."
Biden added that he will not increase taxes on the middle class, saying that, "they're already paying enough."