Biden reiterated his calls for free access to pre-school for 3- and 4-year-olds, saying children who attend early pre-school are more likely to finish high school and go onto receive a college degree.

He also said he wanted to expand tutoring and summer learning time and "see to it that every child learns to read by third grade."

"While we’re at it I want to give public school teachers a raise," he said.

Biden vowed to protect the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, which he said provides health insurance to more than 100 million people who would otherwise be denied it due to pre-existing conditions.

"But my predecessor and many in this chamber want to take that protection away by repealing the Affordable Care Act," he said, as some in the chamber booed. "I won’t let that happen!"

"We stopped you 50 times before and we will stop you again!" he continued.

Republicans have for years tried and fail to repeal and replace the law, which has grown increasingly popular with the public.

In addition to protecting Obamacare, Biden said he wants to expand it by making permanent tax credits set to expire next year that save families $800 annually.

Biden touted efforts to make housing more affordable, including helping Americans have enough money to obtain a federally backed mortgage.

"My administration is also eliminating title insurance on federally backed mortgages. When you refinance your home, you can save $1,000 or more as a consequence," he said.

"I know the cost of housing is so important to you. As inflation keeps coming down, mortgage rates will come down as well…but I'm not waiting. I want to provide an annual tax credit that will give Americans $400 a month for the next two years as mortgage rates come down to put toward their mortgage when they buy their first home or trade up for a little more space."

Biden took a moment to introduce United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain, who endorsed him for reelection, while speaking about the power of unions in America.

Biden praised unions for building up the middle class.

"Wall Street didn't build America. They’re not bad guys, they didn't build it though," Biden said. "The middle class built the country and unions built the middle class!"

Addressing the Nation, Biden said, "I say to the American people, when America gets knocked down, we get back up! We keep going! That's America!"

In fiscal year 2023, the Biden administration nearly doubled its deportations compared to the year before. Combined with new asylum restrictions, the move was seen as a pivot to the right in an effort to shore up his campaign. Biden had promised to reverse Trump’s immigration policies, including family separation and other efforts that had drawn protests, but an influx of migrants at the southern border has complicated the picture.

Biden’s been pushing a bipartisan border deal in the Senate that would be the biggest change to immigration law in decades, but the House has been reluctant to pass it and Republicans claim it's insufficient despite its scope.

They also have every incentive not to take it up: Immigration remains a big reason that voters disapprove of Biden’s job as president, and they say they trust Trump more on immigration.

Voters do want the federal government to fix the immigration system. A Wall Street Journal poll found that 59% approved of the bipartisan bill when it was described to him.

-Monica Potts, 538