Psaki Blames ‘Global Pandemic’ For President Biden Not Addressing Congress Yet in a Joint Session

President Biden has not yet addressed a joint session of Congress, which is an early-term priority in most administrations and typically, presidents give their first speech before Congress in February.

When pressed at her daily press briefing on Monday about when he would hold such a meeting, “It’s not a snubbing,” Psaki promised reporters.

“We are in the middle of a global pandemic. We intend on the president delivering a joint session… but we don’t have a date for that,” Psaki added.

Last week, Psaki also said the president would address a joint session of Congress after it passed a final version of his American Rescue Plan, which has now passed the House and is on the way to Biden’s desk.

Biden is also taking heat for having not yet held a press conference, even from CNN’s Jake Tapper, who tweeted last week that “Biden’s 15 most recent predecessors all held a formal solo press conference within 33 days of taking office.”

.@Kevinliptakcnn notes that an analysis of the past 100 years shows President Biden’s 15 most recent predecessors all held a formal solo press conference within 33 days of taking office. Biden has not and it’s day 42.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) March 3, 2021

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tweeted today that “President Trump barely went 48 hours without holding a press conference and giving access to the American people” while “President Biden has gone 48 days.”

President Trump barely went 48 hours without holding a press conference and giving access to the American people

President Biden has gone 48 days

— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) March 10, 2021

As Fox News noted, the president, since taking office, has signed dozens of executive orders and actions and is ramping up to sign the American Rescue Plan, which will be the second-largest stimulus package in U.S. history.