What to look for in Biden’s second State of the Union address

(Bloomberg) — President Joe Biden is set to address raising the federal debt ceiling before a joint session of Congress Tuesday night amid renewed tensions with China and a looming showdown with House Republicans.

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The launch of a Chinese surveillance balloon hampering efforts to improve ties with Beijing and the specter of a U.S. bankruptcy threatening to devastate the U.S. economy will have investors, diplomats and lawmakers searching for confirmation as the president two Challenges juggles with international implications.

Here’s what to look out for:

Tax the rich

Biden plans to call for a minimum tax on billionaires and quadruple the levy on share buybacks, things that have little chance of passing divided Congress but could resonate with the public. Biden will also nod to the “economic anxiety” many Americans are facing while explaining how his policies will improve their situation, White House economic adviser Brian Deese said Monday.

Biden will “set a clear contrast to the trickle-down economic philosophy that has permeated thought for years and decades in the past,” Deese said.

Stump Speech test run

Biden intends to use the address to test his 2024 campaign message in front of tens of millions of voters who will be watching TV and starting with polls showing most voters disapprove of his presidency. The president has yet to officially announce his re-election, but in recent weeks he has used a harsher tone against Republicans at a series of campaign-style events, branding them extreme and unrelated to American concerns.

Read more: Biden will face wary Democrats and angry GOP in test of 2024 message

The president is also expected to highlight achievements from his first two years in office — including his landmark climate and health law and infrastructure package — and outline his vision for the year ahead, according to White House officials.

After the speech, Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and a group of cabinet officials plan to take their message to the streets. Her White House-planned post-speech trip, Blitz, will see her visit 20 states and host more than 30 events.

Formerly: Biden, Cabinet Plot Post-State of the Union Travel ‘Blitz’

According to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll, more than six in 10 Americans believe the president hasn’t accomplished much in his first two years in office, even though Congress passed important legislation under Democratic control.

war in Ukraine

Biden invited Ukraine’s Ambassador Oksana Markarova to attend the event again, underscoring his intention to urge lawmakers to continue the flow of aid and arms to her country.

“When he addresses the American people and members of Congress tomorrow night, it is safe to say that he will be speaking about his efforts to reassert American leadership on the world stage,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

Police, abortion, guns

Biden is also expected to lead police overhaul efforts following the killing of Tire Nichols. Nichols’ mother and stepfather are among more than a dozen guests hosted by first lady Jill Biden and a group that includes U2 singer Bono – who will highlight US efforts to fight HIV/AIDS – and Paul Pelosi, who late last year was attacked by a hammer-wielding intruder who was looking for his wife, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Other guests hinted at likely legislative priorities that Biden will champion during the speech, from abortion rights to an assault weapons ban.

Biden will also push for a bipartisan law banning online advertising targeted at children and young people.

Fighting Fentanyl

White House officials said Tuesday morning the president will build on the four-pronged “unity agenda” he outlined in his speech last year: fighting the opioid epidemic, breakthroughs in cancer treatment, helping veterans and addressing the mental health crisis health of the country.

As part of that effort, Biden will announce a renewed push to prevent fentanyl from crossing the southwestern border and undertake an ongoing diplomatic push to stem the supply chain for fentanyl — which is often manufactured in Mexico with shipments from China.

Customs and Border Protection seized a historic 260,000 pounds of illegal drugs last year, including nearly 15,000 pounds of fentanyl, according to a White House data sheet.

“One of the things we know is that it’s important to make sure we’re addressing the entire global supply chain of fentanyl and precursors,” Rahul Gupta, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said Tuesday. Biden will continue to push the issue with the governments of China and Mexico, he said. “We have very specific requests for the PRC to take action that we know will significantly reduce, if not eliminate, shipments of precursor chemicals.”

–Assisted by Justin Sink.

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