Accepting the invitation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi(D-California), President Joe Biden will address a joint session of Congress on April 28. Biden’s address will not be considered a State of the Union address, but it will be his first address to Congress.
“Nearly 100 days ago, when you took the oath of office, you pledged in a spirit of great hope that ‘Help Is On The Way,'” Pelosi wrote in her formal invitation to Biden. “Now, because of your historic and transformative leadership, Help Is Here!”
Past presidents traditionally make their first address to Congress within their first 30 days in office, but Biden chose to focus on passing the American Rescue Plan COVID-19 stimulus bill before taking part in these formalities.
The State of the Union address is traditionally given once a year by a president, but the Constitution simply states a 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.”
