With passionate convictions and his trademark tempo, President Barack Obama spoke directly to the nation Tuesday night during his State of the Union address. Hoping to boost his approval rating, dissolve bipartisanship and lay the groundwork for the duration of his administration, the president made it abundantly clear that he’s willing to use the full extent of his power to enact initiatives he deems beneficial to us all.
Pledging to make 2014 “a year of action,” President Obama vowed to wield the bully pulpit of his esteemed office without hesitation, saying that “whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Included in that bold statement were the likes of increasing federal minimum wage, which he plans to do using an executive order “requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour.”
But perhaps most optimistic is that while President Obama intends on putting forth policy and legislation he feels is best for the populous, it will only be when there’s no stagnation in Congress as there was this year. It’s something like a safety net, a reassurance that if Congress comes to a deadlock yet again for whatever reason, the president will be more assertive to solve the issue from his vantage point.
Considered Peter Ubertaccio, Director of Joseph Martin Institute for Law & Society at Stonehill College, in an email to BostInno,
The State of the Union is, constitutionally, a moment when the president recommends to Congress those items that are ‘necessary and expedient’ for them to consider. Given that the current Congress considers and legislates very little, the President used his constitutional moment to note those areas of public policy that do not require congressional action.
In that respect, he continues, “last night’s address is similar to that which we’ve come to expect: very little more than political spectacle that will likely soon be forgotten by most Americans.”
Some of the top priorities he outlined were job creation, he has placed Vice President Joe Biden in charge of a program aimed at training Americans with skills needed to excel in the workforce; equal pay for women in the workforce, using popular culture to hammer home the fact that “it’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a ‘Mad Men’ episode;” help Americans to expedite saving money during times of economic uncertainty, as he hopes to do with the MyRA savings bond; and to pull the last of American soldiers out of Afghanistan to end the longest war in our nation’s storied history.
But it wasn’t all laughter, puppy dogs, snowflakes and rainbows. The Republican party broadcasted an official response after the State of the Union, the likes rightwing Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers taking to the airwaves to note “We hope the President will join us in a year of real action — by empowering people — not by making their lives harder with unprecedented spending, higher taxes, and fewer job.”
Senators Mike Lee of Utah, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida also conveyed remarks, contesting that President Obama’s interests lie within himself and not with the American people – most notably with the Affordable Care Act known colloquially as Obamacare.
“The American people aren’t interested in refighting old battles,” Obama said. “Let’s not have another 40-something votes to repeal a law that’s already helping millions of Americans. …The first 40 were plenty. … We all owe it to the American people to say what we’re for, not just what we’re against,” continued McMorris Rodgers.
For all of those unable to view last night’s State of the Union, be sure to check out the full video below. The entire transcript of President Obama’s address is also available here.
