Biden: U.S. to close airspace to Russian aircraft, release 30 million barrels from oil reserves

Against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Pres. Joe Biden hailed “an unwavering resolve that freedom will always triumph over tyranny” in his State of the Union Address Tuesday night. 

“Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundation of the free world, seeking to bend it to his ways. He met with a wall of strength he couldn’t ever anticipate or imagine. He met the Ukrainian people,” Biden said to a bipartisan audience. He received a standing ovation from both Republicans and Democrats.

Among the concrete actions related to Russia announced in Biden’s speech, the United States will close its air space for “all Russian flights” and assemble a taskforce to go after “the crimes of the Russian oligarchs.” To blunt the detrimental economic effect of sweeping sanctions targeting Russia’s oil-rich economy, the United States will release 30 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserve, adding to the 60 million barrels contributed by countries around the world. 

“The steps will help blunt gas prices here at home,” said Biden, stressing there are no plans to put American boots on the ground in Ukraine. “We’re going to be OK. When the history of this era is written,“ the invasion “will make Putin weaker, and the rest of the world stronger.” 

Besides the Russian invasion, which has dominated public discourse for the last week, Biden touted the success of the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“America used to have the best roads, bridges and airports on earth. Now, our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world,” Biden said. “It was so important to pass the bipartisan infrastructure law—and I thank my Republican friends.” 

With the investment—the largest America has ever made in infrastructure—BIden committed to procuring American-made products such as steel for new bridges.

“We’ll build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations,” he said, noting that 4,000 projects have already been announced through the funding by cities and counties across the nation. Among those projects are initiatives to replace lead pipes, repave roadways and bring affordable internet into underserved communities.  

Clarence Anthony, CEO and executive director of the National League of Cities (NLC) highlighted in a statement about Biden’s address that “Cities, towns and villages are on the front lines of helping our economy rebuild and recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities of all sizes were challenged by the public health emergency and economic crisis, and local leaders rose to the occasion. Thanks to federal investments through the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, our communities are facing those challenges head on and paving the way for a more equitable future.”

In relation to the pandemic, Biden highlighted new mask guidelines announced recently by the Centers for Disease Control.  

With severe cases on the decline, “Most Americans, and most of the country can now go mask free.” Biden said. “Tonight, I can say, we’re moving back, safely, to more normal routines. We can end the shutdown of schools and businesses; we have the tools we need. It’s time for Americans to get back to work, and to once again fill our schools and downtowns.” 

Among other highlights in the speech, Biden said it’s time to provide police departments “with resources and training. The resources and training they need to protect their communities. … We should all agree: the answer is not to defund the police; it’s to fund them.” 

He also called for pharmaceutical companies to “Cut the costs of prescription drugs; we pay more for the same drug, produced by the same company,” and touted other plans created by his administration like the John Lewis Voting Act, and initiatives like addressing the opioid epidemic, fighting cancer, empowering the Department of Veterans Affairs and tackling mental health, among others.