Pelosi sets March 1 date for Biden's State of the Union address

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has invited President Biden to the Capitol to deliver the State of the Union address on March 1, a date which is later than usual, as the COVID-19 Omicron variant swamps Washington, D.C., and the nation. 

"Thank you for your bold vision and patriotic leadership which have guided America out of crisis and into an era of great progress, as we not only recover from the pandemic but Build Back Better," Pelosi said in her letter to the president, referring to the social spending bill that has stalled in the Senate. "In that spirit, I am writing to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 1, to share your vision of the State of the Union."

Last year, the president delivered an address to Congress in late April. It was by invitation only to a smaller in-person audience in the House Chamber because of the pandemic.