or in america 50 a month a spasm and save some lives $1090.00 and me not tell anyone this but gun violence is becoming epidemic in america the flag at the white house was still flying at half mast for the 8 victims of the mass shooting in georgia when 10 more lies were taken in a nationally colorado and in the week in between those 2 events 250 other americans were shot dead the streets of america 250 shot dead i know hard as to make progress on this issue in the ninety's we passed universal background checks a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines that hold 100 rounds that can be fired off and seconds we b.t.n.

are. mass sherry's and gun violence declined check out the report over 10 years but nearly 22000 the law expire. through seem daily bloodshed said to not say the law continued we would see bloodshed more than 2 weeks ago in the rose garden surrounded by some of the bravest people i know the survivors and families who lost loved ones in gun violence i laid out several of the department of justice actions that have retaken the impact of this epidemic one of them is banning so-called ghost guns there's a homemade guns both from a kit that includes directions how to finish the firearm the parts have no serial numbers so they show up at crime scenes and they can't be traced the buyers of these ghost gun kit aren't required to pass any background check anyone

from a criminal or terrorist could buy this kit and within 30 minutes. i have a weapon that's lethal but no more out of everything in my power to protect the american people of this epidemic of gun violence but it's time for congress to act as well. i don't want to become confrontational we need more senate republicans to join the overall majority of democrat colleagues and close the loopholes required background check purchase guns made a ban on assault weapons high capacity magazines and don't tell me it can't be done we did it before and it worked taught to most responsible gun owners and hundreds they'll tell you there's no possible justification for having 100 rounds in

a weapon but i think there were kevlar vests what's that tell you that's are too many people today are able to buy a gun but should be able to buy these kinds of regional reforms have overwhelming support from the american people clearly many gun owners the country supports reform those and congress should act this shouldn't be a red or blue issue. and no imam into the constitution is absolute you can't yell fire in a crowded theater from the very beginning. there are certain gunness weapons that could not be owned by americans certain people could not own those weapons ever going to change in the constitution or be reasonable i think this is not

a democrat or republican issue and it is an american issue and there is or else we can do immigration has always been essential to america let's and our exhaust and more immigration. for more than 30 years politicians have talked about immigration reform and we've done nothing about trying to fix it on day one of my presidency i kept my commitments and a comprehensive immigration bill the united states congress if you believe we need to secure the border pass it because it has a lot of money for high tech border security if you believe in a pathway this is it passed. over 11000000 undocumented folks the best majority of year overstand visas pass and we can actually if you actually want to solve a problem i've sent a bill to take a close look at it. we have to also have to get at the root problem of why people are fleeing particularly this to our southern border rather malo honduras el

salvador the violence the corruption the gangs the political instability hunger hurricanes earthquakes natural disasters when i was president my president when i was vice president president asked me to focus on providing help needed to address the root causes of migration and help keep people in their own countries instead of being forced to leave the plan was working but the last an illustration decided it was not worth it i'm restoring the program when asked by president harris to lead our diplomatic effort to take yours i have absolute confidence if you. don't like my plan let's at least pass but we all agree on. congress needs to pass legislation this year to finally secure protection for dreamers thank you thank you

thank you thank you i'm going to protection for immigrants who are here on temporary protected status who came from thank you for sacrifice thank you a violent thank you thank you well as a popular decisions are worth while workers are put food on our table thank your hands have done so much for america during this pandemic and throughout our history the country supports immigration reform we should i let's argue over let's debate it let's act. and we truly still want to thank all americans need to protect the sacred right to vote. most people thank

you for people vote in the last presidential election than any time in american history in the middle of the worst kind demick ever it should be celebrated instead of speed attacked congress should pass h.r. one and john lewis voting rights thank you so many of my guests thank you and thank you for us thank you i'm sure that you have thank you are thank you closure that he gathered here tonight the images of a violent mob assaulting this capital desecrated our democracy remains vivid in all our minds lives are put at risk many of your lives lives were lost extraordinary courage or someone will. date answer rection was an extra sense of crisis a test of whether our democracy could survive in a did it but the struggle is far from over the question of whether in a mock recy will long endure as both ancient and urgent as old as our republic

still vital today can our democracy deliver on its promise that all of us created equal marriage of god a chance to legalize and dignity respect and possibility can our democracy deliver the most to the most pressing needs of our people can our democracy overcome the lies anger hate and fears and the pull us apart america's adversaries the autocrats of the world are betting we can't and i promise you they're betting we can't they believe are too full of anger and division and rage they look at the images of the mob the solve the cap was proof that the sun is center not american democracy but they are wrong you know what i know but we have to prove them wrong we have to prove democracy still works that our government still works and we can deliver for our people and our 1st 100 days together we've acted restore people's faith in

democracy deliver vaccine to the nation were created hundreds of thousands of new jobs were delivered real results the people they can see it feel it in their own lives opening doors of opportunity guaranteed some more fairness and justice that's the essence of america that's democracy in action our constitution opens with the words as train as it sounds we the people most time remember that we the people are the government you and i not some force in the distant capitol not some powerful force that we have no control over it's us it's we the people. another error when our democracy is tested franklin roosevelt reminded us in america we do our part we all do our part that's all i'm asking. that we do our part all of us if we do that we will meet the center challenge of

the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong autocrats will not win the future we will america. the future belongs to america so i stand here tonight before you in a new and vital hour of life and democracy of our nation and i can say with absolute confidence i have never been more confident or optimistic about america not because i'm president because what's happened with the american people we've stared into the abyss of insurrection and autocracy pandemic and pain and we the people did not flinch the very moment our adversaries were certain we'd pull apart and fail we came together. with light and hope we summoned a new strength new resolve to position us to win the competition of 21st century

on our way to a union more perfect more prosperous and more just as one people one nation and one america. we told him we were leader of a member of the really it's never ever ever been a good bet to bet against america and it's still. true the united states of america thank you now they're saying ok thank you ok now i think beyond our capacity thank you we can do whatever we shall never mind if we do it together thank you so much began to get to hear very. much you have made protect our troops thank you for your preaching thank you thank you.

thank you thank you. so america is on the move again and that is the masses that the u.s. president joe biden just delivered to congress his 1st address to congress on the eve of his 100th day in office suite how did the country's recovery in that time despite facing the pandemic and the severe economic as well as political crises and he also did lay out parts of his american families plan that's a roughly $1.00 trillion dollar legislative proposal to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in priorities like education childcare and paid leave all of which he spoke about the president was speaking just over an hour and that is his wife the 1st lady joe biden on your screens right now let's bring in our white house correspondent kelly halkett she's standing by for us in capitol hill where biden is

right now kimberly so a lot to unpack let's talk about the key takeaway messages. well i think the 1st thing that we need to note about this is that this speech was historic in nature but it was also very heartfelt in its delivery the fact that the u.s. president started out his speech acknowledging how far america has come the fact that right behind him was an image that has never been seen before in the united states as a president delivered such an address that was that he was flanked by 2 women and one of those women was a woman of color in fact who started off this speech recognizing this historic moment saying that. juicing and thanking madam vice president saying no president has ever said those words from this podium and it's about time but this was also a very domestic speech in terms of the message that was sent the u.s.

president very clear in terms of what he felt it was important to address as he came into office in his 1st 100 days talking about the american rescue plan that had been put forward that has allowed for so many millions of americans who have been struggling as a result of this pandemic to get checks to help with food with bread but also he talked about what he hopes to do moving forward to continue to recover from the pandemic whether it be his infrastructure plan known as the american jobs plan or whether it's the american families plaid that will allow for universal education and expansion of america's social security safety net that has not been seen in decades but he also used this opportunity is that as a chance to kind of challenge congress to act and that's where a lot of americans have dissatisfaction they feel that congress has not been helping out in touching on many of the issues that americans feel are important you heard the president outlining that when he talked about challenging congress to

pass what he thought were commonsense gun reforms or gun control to. put in place a ban that expired after the 1990 s. that would ban assault weapons would also make sure that there were universal background checks he also directed a challenge to congress to get over of the decades long debate and battle over immigration he said that if you believe in this thing you should pass legislation to make this happen to make sure that the farm workers the put food on the table have a pathway to citizenship protecting the dream versus there are no the people that came here as children have grown up in the united states is the only country they know and still they do not have equal status so this was another big point and part of this message in addition to protecting voting rights noting that this last presidential election was one of the most historic in terms of voter turnout but

that he believes that that is a right that is under threat and needs to be protected by congress so these are some of the domestic policies that he put forward there was though some talking about foreign policy but it was very much a minor part of the speech he really issued drek challenge to china saying that he is not seeking any sort of confrontation or escalation but that he welcomes competition from china to that and he talked about some of the aggression that the united states feels that russia has been exhibiting that there was a need for a response and he specially over the interference in u.s. elections and that the sanctions that were put in place to deal with that there could be more responses if there is a continued escalation he also noted that with respect to china that the united states will continue to keep our presence in the indo-pacific so these are some of the sort of main themes that the u.s. president talked about but really he was delivering a speech that at times we have to note was was heartfelt given some of his personal

experiences and that's what makes people connect to joe biden in fact when he talked about ending cancer. or the fact that he's lost the adult son to cancer and that he also talked about the troops in afghanistan and why it was important to end that war and bring those soldiers home he knows in what is one of the 1st president decades to know what it's like to have a child serving in the armed forces so this was kind of the sort of joe biden touch that he often gives to government that he can relate to ordinary americans and that's certainly the goal that he set out to do that i think many of those watching will think that he he achieved and kimberly let me ask you about what happens in the next few minutes because we are expecting the traditional rebuttal from the opposing party of course that is the republicans and on this occasion it will be delivered by senator tim scott. and it's really important that the american. viewing public watching the speech we know will be highly watched is

going to get this message from senator tim scott because he's the highest ranking african-american in the u.s. congress right now a republican senator who comes from very humble beginnings that is really a self-made man and it's no accident that the republicans have chosen him for this response given that there is such a debate over race in the united states and how to eliminate systemic racism but there really differing sort of philosophical views republicans are going to make the argument that the approach joe biden is taking is the wrong one that he's going to be paying for these. these programs the expansion of universal health care or rather a child kerrick cetera through taxing corporations and the wealthy he's going to make the argument this is going to destroy jobs as that under donald trump's plan that there was historically low unemployment is specially for communities of color

he's also going to make the argument that well america has done really well when it comes to vaccinations the joe biden inherited that under our. operation warp speed that was developed by donald trump so there is certainly going to be a challenge to joe biden's message is that is something that is going to be delivered by republicans here in congress who are skeptical that the path that joe biden is setting america on is the right one ok thank you so much kimberly for the time being can really house the reporting from capitol hill and you're so looking at the live picture from inside the chamber just a moment ago you were seeing 1st female vice president come alive harris let's bring in john nichols he is the national affairs correspondent the nation magazine he's also the author of the fight for the soul of the democratic party joining us from madison wisconsin thanks for speaking to us on al-jazeera your initial reaction to joe biden's speech. this was

a classic presidential speech to congress joe biden touched on wall of areas that he needed to touch on he talked a lot about domestic policy talk about his do program played a significant foreign policy component to it and so he did it in the classic form but what was striking about this beach was frankly how progressive it was how he went again and again to he means and statements that really in many ways mirror it best use of really seniors. 2020 president. it was really a speech that showed the extent to which president biden as moved to lacked and frankly that is it ministration is attempting they may not succeed but is attempting to really kind of the new the the spirit of franklin roosevelt and lyndon johnson in the mid 1960 s. very big very bold governing major programs and also an attempt to address

of fundamental issues like structural racism and of you know inequality in the united states it's an was a very bold speech he did speech that will be repair it or if it will strike people i think very powerful and let's just look at one of the domestic issues and that is of course the american families plan that he laid out parts of that $1.00 trillion dollar plan to think that this will get the support that it means and will enough republicans go with him on this how do you think they would have received that part of the speech. it's unlikely that he's going to get much republican support there was a point it in the middle of the speech where the president said in and out for him here that he was very glad to meet with republicans but from my perspective doing nothing is not an option and i think he was in a sense hinting at it prostration the challenge of building bipartisan coalitions

at this moment in our history to remember at several points in the speech he talked about the insurrection the attack on the capital so i think that by him see where there's a challenge here to build out the coalitions he'll try but as i suspect we will hear from senator tim scott in the moments that the republicans are not there they're not in the same place on these issues and so by. that kind of unaddressed issue in his speech is the reality that to get his agenda his big agenda on things like the american arctic families when he is going to have to probably use reconciliation which is the process by which democrats effectively force through a bill with a very narrow majority rather than achieving a bipartisan molds or and what do you make of for the fact that i mean you were mentioning just a moment ago that had to touch upon foreign policy he mentioned of course iran

north korea gonna stand. out some might have had their record messages to china what do you make of what he said on foreign policy. i think it was very basic he went through some of the core of themes that he needed to address this is really that far but the best policy but he recognized that only it's going to be and one of the striking things since reference to ending the war after war in afghanistan there was a real shift in the way that american presidents have walked about arm gauging that not just of never stand but other regions around the world the idea that the u.s. can't just be about nation building using the military that archer from president bush it's also to some extent an archer from president obama so that's a big deal now as regards china he has i think he struck the tone that he had spoke

with quite a while now which is. signaling that he knows the chinese leadership he's met with them he's going to continue to meet with them but that there are areas of difference and that those areas are going to continue to be a place tension and one of the striking things also about the speech was how much emphasis joe biden quote on the need to the united states to invest in research and development in technology in new ways of doing things to keep up with china very striking it wasn't just saying you know to maintain our need but suggesting that china intends to be a dominant unpure in the world and that for the united states to maintain its presence as a very dynamic entry that is going to have to invest billions trillions of dollars in research and development and new technologies and new ways of any faction any

sector so this was an only speech as regards china but it wasn't necessarily directly combat and how would you rate his 1st stop 100 days and office on this milestone. look it's very hard to do a race i don't think you can give him an a because he didn't get everything he's wanted and yet he's had a pretty successful. i think he's been given you know relatively high grades because he did get the american rescue act through he has rolled out a lot of bold agendas a lot of bold programs and frankly something that isn't the legislative initiative and this may be but it's written this is a great. was on the back and you should back the you know matter is that when he came in the united states had a very low level of back nation centry now it is really it's a run of the world getting people back needed and the unity to come out of the

soviet prices and heard the president and so i sat in the seat of a frankly i think he probably could see it more because he is the strongest talking he has criticized by some republicans who say well it is not really. unifying the country. to get a sense of or a message if unity from the speech a little bit i mean there were definitely references to working with the republicans being with the republicans talking about you know ways that they might find areas of agreement he was even complimentary. of coming up all right i apologize or i do apologize i will go back to the chamber that's for a south carolina senator. tim scott is delivering the republican response to bibles and grass to congress let's listen in for the temperature to govern for all americans no matter how we voted this was the pitch you just heard it again but our

nation is starving for more than empty platitudes we need policies in progress that brings us closer together but 3 months in the actions of the president and his party are pulling us further and further apart i won't waste your time with finger pointing or partisan bickering you can get that on t.v. any time you want i want to have an honest conversation about common sense and common ground about this feeling that our nation is sliding off a shared foundation and how we move forward together growing up i never dreamed i would be standing here tonight when i was a kid my parents divorced my mother my brother and i moved in with my grandparents 3 of us sharing one bedroom i was disillusioned and angry and i merely failed out of school but i was blessed 1st with a pray mom and let me say this to the single mothers out there who are working

their tails off working hard trying to make ends meet wondering if it's worth it you can bet it is god bless your amazing effort on the part of your kids i was also bless by chiefly operator john money's a filing with a string of opportunities that are only possible here in america this past year i've watched covert attack every rung of the ladder that help me up so many families have lost parents and grandparents too early so many small businesses have gone under becoming a christian transformed my life before months too many churches were shut down most of all. and said that millions of kids have lost a year of learning when they could not afford to lose

a single day locking vulnerable kids out of the classroom is locking adults out of their future our public school should have reopened months ago other countries did private and religious schools did science has shown for months the schools are safe but too often powerful grown that set science aside and kids like me are left behind the clearest case i've seen for school choice in our lifetimes because we know that education is the closest thing to magic in america last year under republican leadership we passed 5 bipartisan coba packages congress supported our schools our hospitals saved our economy and funded operation warp speed delivering vaccines in record time all 5 bills got $9090.00 votes in the senate common sense found common ground

and february republicans told president biden we wanted to keep working together to finish this fight but democrats wanted to go it alone they spent almost 2 trillion dollars on a partisan bill that the white house brad was the most liberal bill in american history only one percent went to vaccinations no requirement to reopen schools probably covered brought congress together 5 times this administration pushed us apart and other issues shit that should unite us is infrastructure republican support everything you think of when you think of infrastructure roads bridges ports airports waterways high speed broadband we're in for all of that. but again democrats want to partisan wishless they won't even build bridges to build

bridges lesson 6 percent the president's plan goes a roads and bridges is a liberal wish list of big government waste.