Mike Bales in South Carolina did not vote in Biden to the White House.

Biden says Americans must face up to the reality of the dangers posed by climate change.

"The climate crisis doesn't care if your state is red or blue," he says, in reference to Republican-controlled and Democrat-controlled states.

"It is an existential threat."

He claims the country is "at last stepping up to the challenge" but "there's so much more to do".

How much more expensive are drug costs in America?published at 02:39 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2023

02:39 GMT 8 February 2023

Natalie Sherman
Business reporter, New York

Health costs are a potent political issue in the US. Sometimes it’s helpful to look at the numbers to remember why.

In 2018, the average price per vial of all types of insulin, the medicine that treats diabetes, was more than $98 (£81) in the US, a study by research group Rand found.

In the UK, the cost was $7.52; Australia $6.94 and in Canada $12.

When Joe Biden zeroes in on the drugs costs, this is why.

Continuing with healthcare, Biden says that the US is giving Medicare - the social safety net for low income Americans - the power to negotiate with drug companies.

"It will cut the federal deficit, saving tax payers hundreds of billions of dollars on the prescription drugs the government buys for Medicare," he says.

Addressing Republicans, Biden says: "Make no mistake, if you try to do anything to raise the cost of prescription drugs, I will veto it."

We've now moved onto the healthcare policy section of the president's speech.

"Big Pharma has been unfairly charging people hundreds of dollars – and making record profits. Not anymore," Biden says.

To a standing ovation from his side of the aisle, he notes that a Democratic congress capped the cost of insulin, as well as expensive out-of-pocket drugs to treat illnesses like cancer.

More real time reactions from Americans.

After praising his party's accomplishments, Biden's tone turned sombre.

"Too many people have been left behind or treated like they’re invisible," he said, his voice dropping. "Maybe that’s you, watching at home."

Biden frequently makes direct appeal to middle class and blue collar voters, in an effort to make them feel seen, politically. Though he's touting his accomplishments, in this section of the speech, he is attempting to empathise with Americans far from Washington.

"You remember the jobs that went away. And you wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away," Biden said. "I get it. I get it.""That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind," he said.

The president announces new standards requiring all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects are made in America.

A manufacturing renaissance? Not so fastpublished at 02:32 Greenwich Mean Time 8 February 2023

02:32 GMT 8 February 2023

Natalie Sherman
New York business reporter

Joe Biden just said the US had created 800,000 manufacturing jobs – the most in 40 years.

It’s true that the last time the US saw a two-year streak of jobs growth in the manufacturing sector this strong was in the 1980s.

But that shouldn’t be mistaken for a sign that the industry is suddenly in solid health.

As he has with the overall economy, Biden is benefiting from the recovery from the pandemic, when manufacturing payrolls dropped by 600,000.

The big surge of the last two years means that employment is only a bit higher than it was in 2019.

Biden says the US is "coming back" because Democrats and Republicans came together to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

He notes that it is the largest infrastructure spending project in decades, and says it has already funded over 20,000 projects "including at major airports from Boston to Atlanta to Portland".

"These projects will put hundreds of thousands of people to work rebuilding our highways, bridges, railroads, tunnels, ports and airports, clean water, and high-speed internet across America," he continues.

"And we’re just getting started," he says, potentially teeing up his 2024 campaign for re-election. Democrats in the chamber cheered wildly as he delivered the line.

He adds his thanks to Republicans who supported the bill, and says he will be "president to all Americans" and will support bills in communities that opposed the plan.

"My economic plan is about investing in places and people that have been forgotten," he continues.

Image source, Getty Images

We're hearing in real time from our panel of registered voters across America.

Image source, .

Sandra Thomas voted for President Biden in 2020.

One of President Biden's signature accomplishments, he says, was the passage of a bipartisan infrastructure law worth $1tn (£830bn) in 2021.

Since its passage, the bill has funded thousands of projects across the country.

"To maintain the strongest economy in the world, we also need the best infrastructure in the world," says Biden.

"We used to be #1 in the world in infrastructure, then we fell to #13th. Now we’re coming back."

He claims the projects greenlit by his infrastructure deal will "put hundreds of thousands of people to work".

"Urban. Suburban. Rural. Tribal," he adds.

Nomia Iqbal
Reporting from the House chamber

So far, there's been huge applause from the Republicans as Biden began his speech championing Kevin McCarthy and Hakeem Jeffries for their new roles leading the House.

Many Republicans remain seated however as he acknowledged Nancy Pelosi, the former House Speaker.

Pleasantries appear to be over. Mitt Romney is the only Republican who stands and applauds when Biden praises his administration adding jobs. He's now starting the policy part of the speech.

Natalie Sherman
New York business reporter

American views of the economy are grim – and it’s no big mystery why.

Prices for many items, including food, airline fares and toilet paper, are rising at rates that have not been seen in a generation.

Joe Biden just made the case that the situation is improving. And it is.

Inflation – the rate at which prices rise – hit 9.1% last June, after the Ukraine war sent oil and petrol prices soaring.

As of December, it had dropped back to 6.5% annually, as that energy shock subsided.

But that’s still far faster than the 2% rate considered healthy. And many economists fear that the rapid easing seen in the second half of last year will be hard to replicate.

Meanwhile wages while increasing, have not kept pace. Average hourly earnings in December were more than 1% lower compared with 2021, if the price increases are taken into account.

President Biden claims he ran for the job "to make sure the economy works for everyone so we can all feel pride in what we do".

He says that means building an economy "from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down".

"Because when the middle class does well, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do very well," he says.

Biden champions the current unemployment rate of 3.4% as a 50-year low, noting a boom in manufacturing jobs during his tenure.

Reaching out to Republicans who now control the House, Biden tells them: "I signed over 300 bipartisan laws since becoming president."

"To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress."

He adds: "The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere."

President Biden says that the US has emerged stronger from the pandemic.

"Two years ago, Covid had shut down our businesses, closed our schools, and robbed us of so much," he says.

"Today, Covid no longer controls our lives."

The president drew criticism in September after he declared, during a TV interview, that he believes the pandemic was "over" - even as the administration was battling on many fronts for many resources in the fight against the virus.

President Biden touts economic progress made under his administration.

"We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it," he says.

"Two years ago, our economy was reeling. As I stand here tonight, we have created, with the help of many people in this room, 12 million new jobs, more jobs created in two years than any president has ever created in four years."