Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008. He was also the Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012.
Biden renews call to pass LGBTQ Equality Act in State of the Union speech
In a State of the Union address front-loaded with calls to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden on Tuesday called for assistance from Congress in enacting his domestic agenda — and renewed his call for passage of the Equality Act to advance LGBTQ rights."And for our LGBTQ+ Americans, let's finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk," Biden said, making his strongest push yet for legislation that has been pending in the U.S.
Senate for nearly a year despite Biden's campaign promise to sign it into law within his first 100 days in office.Not only was it Biden's first State of the Union speech, it also marked the first time that two women were seated behind the president as he delivered the traditional oration on the status of the country and of his own administrative priorities.
Behind Biden on his left was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and to his right was Vice President Kamala Harris, formerly San Francisco's district attorney.Both were unmasked, as were most people in the House chambers, in a visual sign of how the country is moving into an endemic stage of the COVID-19 health crisis.
Pelosi called Biden's roughly hour-long speech "a powerful message of progress, empathy and hope for America's working families" in a statement Tuesday."We know there is more work to be done," stated Pelosi. "The President spoke powerfully to the kitchen table issues facing America's working families and Democrats' plans to lower their costs.
