While technically not a State of the Union address, his speech fulfilled much of the same function.
State of the Union addresses are typically done before a chamber packed with representatives, senators, Supreme Court justices, senior military personnel and invited guests.
But today a much smaller and socially distanced group was on hand to hear his speech.
A masked Mr Biden entered the chamber and bumped fists and elbows with members of Congress.
The address marks the first time a president will speak in Congress flanked by two women.
“Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President,” he began his address.
“No president has ever said those words, and it is about time.”
Mr Biden called for another four years of education to be paid for by the government – two years of preschool and two years of community college.
He referenced something his wife Jill – a community college professor – has said to him.
“If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a thousand times. ‘Joe, every country that outeducates us is going to outcompete us’.”
Mr Biden referenced the death of his son Beau in calling for more funding for cancer research.
“Let’s end cancer as we know it. It’s within our power to do it,” he said.
He pushed for more investment in manufacturing, research and development, and infrastructure.
“There are good guys and women on Wall Street, but they didn’t build this country,” he said.
“The middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class.”
His call to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour drew a standing ovation from the crowd.
Currently, the federal minimum wage in America is about half that.
“No-one working 40 hours a week should live below the poverty line,” Mr Biden said.
He called for building and updating ports, airports, bridges, roads and highways, as well as replacing lead pipes in drinking water infrastructure.
He also called for American workers to have access to 12 weeks of paid family and health leave.
Currently, America is the only industrialised country with no guarantee of maternity leave.
He also called for cutting the costs of prescription drugs, which are much more expensive in America than in the rest of the world.
And he declared his policy proposals should be paid for by raising taxes on America’s wealthiest.
“It’s time for corporate America and the wealthiest one percent to begin paying their fair share,” Mr Biden said.
“I think you should be able to become a millionaire or billionaire, but pay your fair share.”
He also called for an end to America’s “exhausting war on immigration”.
Mr Biden demanded more be done about gun violence in America, specifically closing the “boyfriend loophole” allowing abusive partners to access weapons.
“It’s estimated that 50 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every month in America. Let’s pass it, and save some lives,” he said.
“Gun violence has become an epidemic in America.”
He pledged support to the transgender community.
“For all transgender Americans watching at home, especially young people, I want you to know your president has your back,” he said.
He pushed for Congress to pass a bill for police reform in the wake of George Floyd murder trial.
“The vast majority of men and women in America wearing a badge serve our communities honourably,” Mr Biden said.
“The country supports this reform, and Congress should act.
“We have a tremendous opportunity to bend the arc of the moral universe towards justice.”
Mr Biden touted his achievements in his first 100 days in the White House in his first address to Congress as President.
“After just 100 days, I can report to the nation that America is on the move again,” he said.
“After I promised we would get 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots into people’s arms in 100 days, we will have provided over 220 million COVID-19 shots in those 100 days.”
Every American over the age of 16 is now eligible to be vaccinated.
“Go and get vaccinated, America,” he said.
He noted that more than half of American adults have received at least one COVID shot.
He referenced a conversation he had with a nurse at a vaccination centre in Arizona.
“I asked the nurse – I said, ‘What is it like?'” Mr Biden said.
“She looked at me and she said, ‘It is like every shot is giving a dose of hope’.”
This content first appear on 9news