House Republicans ready to rebut Biden’s State of the Union speech

House Republican leadership held a press briefing on Wednesday morning, teeing up criticisms of the Biden administration’s performance ahead of the president’s State of the Union address on Thursday. Republicans highlighted persistent inflation, immigration, and crime as issues key to voters across the country—areas in which they believe the president has some explaining to do.

For instance, Republican leaders discussed plans to pass the Laken Riley Act, named after a student murdered last month on the University of Georgia campus. A Venezuelan who entered the U.S. illegally has been charged with killing her. Republicans say the case shows how the administration’s inaction on border security has put Americans at risk. If passed, the bill would increase states’ power to detain immigrants who have committed a crime like theft or burglary, enabling state-level authorities to get around prosecutorial roadblocks put in place by sanctuary cities. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson summarized the state of the union in one word: decline. “The safety of our cities is in decline. America’s presence on the global stage is in decline,” he said.

Why are they saying this now? The Republican conference came on the heels of Super Tuesday as former President Donald Trump all but secured the Republican nomination for president in 2024. Congress is wrestling with finalizing spending appropriations for the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year. In his speech tomorrow, Biden is expected to pressure Congress for its struggles. Meanwhile, congressional Republicans have framed the president’s criticisms as attempts to deflect blame from the performance of his administration.

“The race is set now. It’s a rematch, and we like that rematch,” Johnson said, referencing Trump’s likely party nomination.

Dig deeper: Read my coverage of the developing appropriations bills.