US President Joe Biden has been blasted as a “liar” and booed as he delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in January.

Far-right conspiracy theorist Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly yelled back Mr Biden during Tuesday night’s State of the Union speech – taking issue with everything from his comments on fentanyl to entitlement cuts.

She yelled out “liar” and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy shook his head as Mr Biden suggested some Republicans wanted cuts to medical aid and social security and stayed seated when he introduced the parents of slain black man Tyre Nichols, and the Ukraine ambassador.

“We will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare,” Mr Biden said.

“If anyone tries to cut Social Security – which apparently they’re not going to do – and if anyone tries, and Medicare, I’ll stop them. I’ll veto it.”

He began his speech of more than an hour by speaking of “possibilities” and calling for Congress to find “consensus”.

“To my Republican friends – if we could work together in the last Congress, there is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress,” Mr Biden, a Democrat, said.

“The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere … We’ve been sent here to finish the job.”

A rowdy back-and-forth erupted on the House floor with some Republicans as Mr Biden spoke about the US national debt – which he said “200 years to accumulate” but rose 25 per cent under his predecessor, Donald Trump.

“Those are the facts, check it out,” Mr Biden said, as boos and chatter started in the chamber.

“Check it out!” he continued, according to CNN.

White House officials were reportedly unconcerned at the President’s rowdy reception.

“Couldn’t have written a better moment,” one official told CNN.

“He gets energy from his audience.”

Elsewhere, Mr Biden sought to portray a nation dramatically improved from the one he took charge of two years ago: From a reeling economy to one prosperous with new jobs; from a crippled, pandemic-weary nation to one that has reopened, and a democracy that has survived its biggest test since the Civil War.

“The story of America is a story of progress and resilience. Of always moving forward. Of never giving up. A story that is unique among all nations,” Mr Biden said.

“We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again.”

“We’re not finished yet by any stretch of the imagination.”

Mr Biden sought to reassure the nation that his stewardship had delivered results both at home and overseas, as he also set out to prove his fitness for a likely re-election bid.

Rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals, he tried to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America’s democracy was “unbowed and unbroken.”

He highlighted record job creation during his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Biden also pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states’ vital infrastructure and high tech manufacturing.

Throughout his speech, he pledged bipartisanship where possible, although he also underscored the sharp tensions between him and House Republicans: He discussed GOP efforts to repeal Democrats’ 2022 climate change and healthcare law and their reluctance to increase the federal debt limit, the nation’s legal borrowing authority that must be raised later this year or risk default.

In fiery refrains, Mr Biden said the phrase “finish the job” 13 times, challenging lawmakers to complete the work of his administration on capping insulin costs for all Americans, confronting climate change, raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations and banning assault-style weapons.

But on all of those fronts, the divided government is even less likely to yield than the Congress under sole Democratic control.

– with AAP