Biden to unveil new health care and tax relief plans in State of the Union address

President Joe Biden will use his State of the Union address on Thursday to tout his administration’s progress in lowering prices for consumers and to push for Congress to expand efforts to lower health care costs and reform America’s tax code, according to administration officials familiar with his plans.

Mr Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress — his third since taking office in 2021 — comes as he gears up for a tough general election rematch against the man he defeated in 2020, former president Donald Trump, amid lagging poll numbers and questions over whether he, at age 81, is too old to serve.

At Wednesday’s daily White House press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Mr Biden would “lay out the historic achievements he has delivered on for the American people” when he speaks from the House of Representatives rostrum at 9pm eastern time (6pm Pacific, 2am UK time) on Thursday, to lay out “his vision for the future”.

“Looking at what President Biden faced when he came into office and where we are now, it is clear he's gotten more done in the first three years than most presidents have accomplished in two terms,” said Ms Jean-Pierre.

She also said Mr Biden would use the annual message to Congress to “talk about the success in implementing his agenda, from infrastructure, to chip,s to lowering drug prices and getting rid of junk fees”.

“He will talk about whose side he is on and his plan to improve the lives of all Americans. That includes lowering costs for Americans and giving people more breathing room, lowering health care premiums and taking on big pharma to lower the cost of prescription drugs, making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share in taxes, saving our democracy