Expert Reactions to Last Night's ​​​​​​​State of the Union

On March 1st, 2022, President Joe Biden delivered his first State of the Union address to Congress and the American public. The hour long speech detailed a wide range of topics from the President's policy agenda, including current foreign policy in Ukraine and domestic infrastructure. Our policy teams listened closely for all mentions of issues regarding early childhood, PreK-12, higher education, and workforce development to understand the administration’s priorities going into 2022. If you missed the address, you can find the quick reactions from our experts below to understand what President Biden covered and what he did not.

"It was encouraging to hear President Biden emphasize the importance of passing legislation to make child care and pre-K accessible and affordable. As the President pointed out, many parents currently spend more than $14,000 per child to access child care; his plan could cut those costs in half. Now it's time for Congress to step up and make these plans a reality for American families."
- Early & Elementary Education Policy Team

“Biden’s address and agenda is appropriately broad and will likely have many positive impacts. We do believe that public education and teachers need even more support than was explicitly mentioned in the President’s address as they are the backbone of a democratic society.”
- Jazmyne Owens and Elena Silva, Pre-K12 Policy

In his SOTU, the President called on Congress to pass the PRO Act, an important piece of legislation that would make it easier for workers to form unions and collectively bargain for improved working conditions. Passing the PRO Act would help level the playing field and empower more workers to have a seat at the table. Though the PRO Act passed the House last year, its progress has been stalled in Congress since then.
- Kelsey Berkowitz, Center on Education & Labor

President Biden mentioned the need to provide affordable high-speed internet for every American, including in urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities. Our report from early in the pandemic emphasized how vital a strong, stable internet connection has become for families with children learning at home under-connected.
- Lisa Guernsey, Teaching, Learning, & Tech

Last night, President Biden called for even more investments in Registered Apprenticeship, a proven model with bipartisan agreement that is important for building a healthy, inclusive economic recovery. Both President Biden’s FY 22 budget and the Build Back Better Act, currently stalled in the Senate, would make significant investments to scale different apprenticeship programs.
- Lul Tesfai, Center on Education & Labor

"Briefly during SOTU, President Biden mentioned the importance of investing in Pell grants, community colleges, and HBCUs. Investment in college affordability helps--but underserved students will need more support to help them get to the finish line. A federal investment in evidence-based practices will help millions of students succeed!"
- Sophie Nguyen, Higher Education Policy

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