Mr. Biden will urge Congress to pass legislation, passed by the House of Representatives in December, to increase FMC oversight of the shipping industry.
The President will speak without a mask on Tuesday, the same day that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials will lift many Covid restrictions on communities across the country where cases, hospitalizations and deaths have plummeted.
Officials announced mask requirements for vaccinated White House staff and visitors will be deleted from tuesdaya move that would allow Mr. Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to host their guests from the Union at a reception that evening, which was not allowed under previous rules.
Mr. Biden has fought the pandemic — and its impact on American work and life — since taking office, largely by vaccinating nearly three-quarters of the population. As the impact of the Omicron option wanes, administration officials hope to move into a new phase of the pandemic, with the virus playing a lesser role in daily life.
As the White House works on a detailed coronavirus response strategy for the next phase of the pandemic, Mr. Biden is unlikely to release it during his speech. Instead, he is expected to speak about the coronavirus pandemic in general terms, referring to the same “things are getting better, but we’re not out of the woods yet” tone he’s used in recent weeks.
A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to preview the president’s remarks, said Mr Biden would “emphasize that the country has made tremendous progress” over the past 13 months and remind Americans that the nation has the tools, including vaccines and treatments. – to prevent serious illnesses and treat those who fall ill.
Mr. Biden was criticized for prematurely declaring “independence” from the virus last summer, but later that year he saw a new wave of infection and death from the Delta variant. White House officials fear a repeat of that mistake.
As cases decline and the immediate threat wanes, Mr. Biden will also note that the virus is unpredictable and reassure the nation that his administration is taking steps to prepare for future options.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Ana Swanson and Kathy Rogers contributed reporting.