This is not considered the State of the Union speech, that will come next January.



President Barack Obama plans to address Congress for the first time on Feb. 24, five weeks after his inauguration.



White House officials say that Obama's speech to a joint session of the House and Senate will have the trappings of a State of the Union address, but it will not be considered one. His first State of the Union speech won't come until next January.



The speech to Congress on Feb. 24 is expected to emphasize that Obama inherited difficult situations on many fronts and that he will preside over a new dawn in Washington.