It's Friday, March 8, 2024. I'm Albert Moeller and this is the briefing. A daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.

Last night, President Joe Biden delivered the state of the union address.

Now, it is known as the state of the union precisely because the Constitution calls

upon the nation's chief executive to report to Congress on the state of the nation.

There is no constitutional stipulation that it has to be a speech, much less that it has to be in person,

but that tradition began fairly early in the

American Republic and it continued very much so especially with the advent of

radio and then of course even more so with television and streaming video.

Presidents are not about to give up that opportunity and the constitutional drama is rich.

You have people entering the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Of course it is the House of the U.S. House of Representatives. Of course, it is the House and Senate

together constituting Congress inviting the President to give the annual State of the Union

address. Formally, the invitation comes from the Speaker of the House of Representatives and it comes to virtually every president every year

except for one technicality officially a newly inaugurated president does not give a State of the Union address because the president is brand new in office. But Congress generally invites the new president to speak to a joint session of Congress, and frankly it has the very same feel as a state of the union address.

The formality of it is a part of our constitutional tradition. The grand juror of it is a part of our national history. You have Congress seated and then

eventually you have the cabinet, you have prominent defense officials including

generals from the military, the Joint Chiefs of Staff in particular.

And then you have also at least, usually at least some of the Supreme Court of the United States.

The justices dressed in their robes and they're also a part of the formality even if they do not speak and

then the president's cabinet is introduced and then the introduction ladies and gentlemen the president of the United States at that point particularly in the age of television a president enters the chamber too much applause and the applause for the office generally from both parties and then he speaks to some of the people coming down the aisle

it's a part of the Democratic ritual it's a part of political custom and then he arrives at

the Speaker's rostrum there in the House of Representatives even as the Speaker of the House and the Vice President,

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