Biden’s State of the Union 2024: Live updates as president addresses Congress

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox

Get our free Inside Washington email

Joe Biden is soon giving his annual State of the Union speech laying out the case for his re-election and addressing issues both domestic and international before a joint session of Congress.

The president is expected to tout his achievements, allay concerns about his age and warn of the threat to democracy posed by the hard right across the country ahead of a crucial election year.

In excerpts released by the White House, the president’s tone is punchy, vowing to restore Roe v Wade, highlighting economic achievements, and targetting his predecessor Donald Trump without mentioning his name — though reminding everyone they are almost the same age.

Mr Biden is expected to cover infrastructure wins and call for greater cooperation in Congress on spending deals to avert another looming government shutdown and to resolve the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border. He will also stress the need for international unity in the face of conflicts raging in Ukraine and Gaza.

Speaker Mike Johnson has said he has sent a “very clear” message to his fellow Republicans to “turn the temperature down” and show “decorum” to avoid some of the more raucous scenes of recent years.