The president shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. – Article II, Section 3, Clause 1, U.S. Constitution

Since George Washington traveled to Federal Hall in New York City to deliver the first annual message to a joint session of Congress in 1790, his successors have carried on the tradition set by his precedent: reflect on the services of the federal government, frame the nation’s challenges and preserve the American experiment in self-government. 

Since Iowans first elected me to Congress in 1974, I’ve had the opportunity to hear in person the annual State of the Union Address delivered to the people’s branch from nine chief executives, from Presidents Gerald Ford to Joe Biden. When I served as Senate President Pro Tempore, I had the privilege to escort President Donald Trump into the House chamber located in the south wing of the U.S. Capitol. Here, the visitor’s gallery is filled with invited guests while 535 members of Congress, the President’s Cabinet (sans a designated survivor to protect the line of succession), the Justices of the Supreme Court and diplomatic corps sit in armchairs facing the Speaker’s rostrum. The president is flanked by the Vice President and the Speaker of the House. 

Although a bit of pomp and circumstance surrounds this annual event now, our nation’s first president set the tone in service to the American people, not as a king, but as our president. Whereas Thomas Jefferson opted to send a written annual message that continued for more than a century, the televised presentation of the State of the Union Address in 1947 has become a seminal opportunity for the nation’s chief executive to pitch his agenda to lawmakers and the American people.

While pundits dissect the duration of applause lines and word counts, I digest the contents of the speech. The key takeaway for me is if the president meets the moment. Does he have his finger on the pulse of the American people and the gravitas to tackle our nation’s challenges? 

Eighteen months before America celebrated our nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, President Ford delivered his first State of the Union Address on Jan. 15, 1975. That was my first State of the Union Address as a freshman member of the 94th Congress. At that time, I was one of only 17 new House Republicans who joined 76 Democratic freshmen, the so-called “Watergate Babies,” following President Richard Nixon’s resignation on August 9, 1974.

Ford didn’t sugarcoat the state of the Union or the state of the economy. He reported to Congress the state of the Union was “not good.” He acknowledged instability in the economy; an unpopular war overseas; soaring cost of living; national debt; energy crisis; Congress and the White House being at “loggerheads;” and an erosion of public trust in our institutions.

Many issues from Ford’s first State of the Union Address are relevant today, nearly 50 years later. In my 99 county meetings, I hear from Iowans who are deeply concerned about polarization in Washington, the soaring national debt, the high cost of living and foreign wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. However, a different issue that’s risen to top of mind for many Iowans and Americans across the country is immigration and border security.

When President Biden stands in the well of the House of Representatives on March 7, America will be 28 months away from celebrating our Semiquincentennial, the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

As a history lover, I look forward to celebrating 250 years of American history on July 4, 2026. As the longest serving U.S. Senator for Iowa and the longest currently serving lawmaker in the U.S. Senate, I’ve devoted most of my life to public service and strengthening our system of self-government. 

In his State of the Union Address, Biden has an opportunity to meet this moment in history and address our most pressing challenges, like his predecessors did after Watergate, the Cold War, 9/11, natural disasters, recessions and most recently, the pandemic. Today, that issue arguably is unsustainable illegal immigration.

Throughout our history, the United States of America has been a welcoming nation, strengthened by immigration. We are also a nation built and strengthened by the rule of law. These are not mutually exclusive principles. I would argue Americans have a superpower envied by people around the world: hope. When American presidents tap into that hope and sense of solidarity, the State of our Union is indivisible. Political leadership that unifies Americans will ensure our children and grandchildren can pursue the American Dream into the next quarter of a millennium.

When the Leader of the Free World delivers the annual State of the Union Address, I encourage all Americans to pay attention. The President has the privilege and the responsibility to use the power of the bully pulpit to bring our nation together to solve our most pressing challenges.

Over the House chamber’s gallery doors are 23 marble relief portraits representing world leaders, including from ancient times, whose scholarship influenced the principles underpinning American law, shaping our way of life. Our nation is nearly midway into the third century of our American experiment. As a lifelong family farmer and fellow American, I can assure you hope springs eternal throughout every season. I have great hope that our best days lie ahead.

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