Rodney Wells and RowVaughn Wells, parents of Tyre Nichols, react as they are acknowledge, alongside Brandon Tsay, hero of the Monterey, California, shooting, and U2 singer Bono
(Picture: Getty Images)Joe Biden paid tribute to Tyre Nichols’s parents and the hero of a mass shooting as he made his State of the Union address.
Rodney and RowVaughn Wells, whose son died after being beaten by police in Memphis, were invited to watch the US president’s speech to Congress.
Mr Biden used his address to renew his calls for police reform, saying officers who “violate the public trust” should be held accountable and called for better training.
“What happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often. We have to do better,” he said. Five officers have been charged with murder.
Brandon Tsay, who disarmed the gunman suspected of killing 11 people at a California dance hall during Lunar New Year celebrations last month also watched on as a guest of First Lady Jill Biden.
“He saved lives,” Mr Biden said, as Congress gave Mr Tsay a standing ovation. “It’s time we do the same as well,” the President continued as he called for stricter gun safety legislation.
Mr Biden made his speech to a packed chamber and high-profile guests — including U2’s Bono — as well as Supreme Court justices.
He called for unity in a divided Congress to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy.
He stressed the importance of Republicans, who now have a majority in the lower chamber, working with his Democratic administration.
He returned repeatedly to common ground, making the case that both parties can back US factories, new businesses being formed and the funding of 20,000 infrastructure projects. When Mr Biden hit these themes, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy clapped, even standing to applaud at one point.
“To my Republican friends, if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” said the president, who has previously been accused by his opponents of divisive rhetoric. “We’ve been sent here to finish the job!” he added.
But it did not stop heckling from some Republicans, with Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene pictured giving him the thumbs down.
Mr Biden vowed to defend US sovereignty in the wake of an incursion by an alleged Chinese spy balloon.
The president said he was committed to working constructively with China, but cautioned: “Make no mistake: as we made clear last week, if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did.”
In what was seen as a roadmap for a widely expected re-election bid in 2024, the president focused on domestic issues, hailing the resilience and strength of the US economy, with unemployment dropping to a half-century low in January.
Mr Biden aired his political wish-list, calling for an assault weapons ban, a minimum tax for billionaires, and access to pre-school for three and four-year-olds.
He also condemned “outrageous” profits by oil companies.
