Premium Essay

State of the Union Address

In:

Submitted By LesiaM
Words 906
Pages 4
Lesia Johnson

February 19,2013

State of the Union Speech

American National Government

The President discussed 5 important points in his 2013State of the Union Speech and they were: Immigration Reform: Minimum Wage Increase: Tax Reform & Debt Ceiling: Climate Change and Gun Control.
At a time when Republicans are insisting on spending cuts, Obama pushed more public spending on universal preschool, construction work on bridges and schools and a jobs program rebuilding vacant homes in rundown neighborhoods. He pushed for an increase in the minimum wage to $9 an hour, with future increases tied to the cost of living. And he continued to push in support of left-leaning social issues including gun control, immigration reform, climate change and advancing equal rights for gays.
President Obama stated how the American people does not expect government to solve every problem nor agree on every issue, but we do expect for the government to put the nation’s interests before party. He stated that their work must begin by making some basic decisions about the budget, decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of American recovery. Over the last few years, both parties have been working together to reduce the deficit and has done so by more than $2.5 trillion, mostly through spending cuts, but also by raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. As a result, we are more than halfway towards the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. He stated that the biggest driver of our long-term debt is the rising cost of health care for an aging population.
But we can’t ask senior citizens and working families to shoulder the entire burden of deficit reduction while asking nothing more from the wealthiest and the most powerful
Obama constantly

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

State of the Union Address

...State of the Union Address President Barack Obama, seeking to restore confidence in his leadership, declared in his State of the Union address that he would use executive power to try to narrow the gap between rich and poor and speed the nation’s economic recovery. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the House GOP’s highest-ranking woman, asserted that Obama was making it tougher for most Americans. “Right now, the President’s policies are making people’s lives harder; Republicans have plans to close the gap.” Costa and Kane (2014, January 29). Flurry of GOP responses to State of the Union address .WSJ, p. A1, A4. The President talks a lot about income inequality, but the real gap we face today is with this administration’s policies, that gap has become far too wide. The unemployment rate fell last month, but more Americans stopped looking for jobs than found one. The President also spoke about increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10. House Speaker John Boehner said “Raising the minimum wage would result in less hiring and the loss of low-wage jobs.” Costa and Kane (2014, January 29). Flurry of GOP responses to State of the Union address .WSJ, p. A1, A4. I do support the increase of the minimum wage but it has to be done incrementally every year for the next six years. If it is not done incrementally the disadvantage of a minimum wage increase will be an additional cost to businesses that will lead to job cuts. The last thing the country needs right now is job reduction...

Words: 413 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

State of the Union Address

...The major focus of Barack Obama’s state of the union address was economic equality and middle class prosperity. The policies for the promotion and expansion of opportunities for economic growth were the major focus of the Address. The president showed concern over a range of policy initiatives for the provision of security to working families. The major measures include lowering the taxes for working class, increased employment and education opportunities, development of training programs for workers and increased investment in infrastructure and energy sectors to create more job opportunities. President emphasized the need to increase the capital gain and dividend tax rate for the redistribution purpose. In current American economic scenario the earned income is being taxed at a higher rate than investment income. In economic terms this is the major reason of inequality. In his State of Union address, President Obama touched the same reality and was rightly of the opinion that without dealing with the root cause of the problem of redistribution, economic recovery cannot contribute to engine of growth. He said in his State of the Union address “we need a tax code that truly helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy, and we can achieve that together.” He proposed higher minimum wage, called business units to come forward with more apprenticeship opportunities for workers and offered new retirement plans. This is very right approach if we look at the...

Words: 486 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

State of Union Address

...State of the Union Address Analysis The following paper will discuss the recent 2011 State of the Union address as presented by President Barack Obama with particular regard to the implications the policies may have for African American Politics. Midway through his term, the address reconfirmed many of the policies presented previously. President Obama particularly emphasised the need for bipartisanship and respect for one another as a result of the recent Tucson tragedy. Democrats and Republicans intermingling in their seating displayed this. He called for all members of the “American family” to be “bound together as one people”. This is an important note when taking into account that of race for although over time the situation involving African Americans on the whole has improved, there are still many inequalities that still exist. The address emphasised three major points which will analyse innovation, education and infrastructure and technology. Continuing on the strong theme of unity, President Obama suggests that one of the most important investments the United States of America needs to make is that of innovation. He proposes that the nation needs to aim for “this generation’s Sputnik moment”. In this way, President Obama points out that developing nations like India and China are well on their way to becoming leaders in areas of technology and education. To continue being competitive in these areas he suggests the nation needs to “out-innovate, out-educate and outbuild”...

Words: 700 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Obama State Of The Union Speech Analysis

...presented the State of the Union Address to the American people. In this speech, President Barack Obama spoke about many different issues. In this paper, I will review and evaluate President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address using the two checklists from Catherine Smith’s book entitled, Writing Public Policy. I will evaluate if President Obama’s speech addresses a specific audience about a specific problem, the purpose related to a specific policy action, that it represents authority accurately, uses the appropriate form and design for use. I will also review the clarity, correctness, conciseness and credibility of President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Features of Effectiveness President Obama’s State of the Union speech addressed a specific audience about specific problems. The audience is composed of Senators, Democrats, and Republicans. The President’s speech is the final report on the State of the Union. President Obama’s speech...

Words: 912 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Me, L; M; Jkj; Jk; Kj; K

...years in office, classic speeches, especially the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, helped to establish him as one of the greatest American presidents. Follow the links below to read more about Lincoln's greatest speeches. Lincoln's Lyceum Address Buyenlarge/Archive Photos/Getty Images Addressing a local chapter of the American Lyceum Movement in Springfield, Illinois, a 28-year-old Lincoln delivered a surprisingly ambitious speech on a cold winter night in 1838. The speech was entitled "The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions," and Lincoln, who had just been elected to local political office, spoke on matters of great national significance. He made allusions to a recent act of mob violence in Illinois, and also addressed the issue of slavery. Though Lincoln was talking to a smalltown audience of friends and neighbors, he seemed to have ambitions beyond Springfield and his position as a state representative. Lincoln's Address at Cooper Union In late February 1860 Abraham Lincoln took a series of trains from Springfield, Illinois to New York City. He had been invited to speak to a gathering of the Republican Party, a fairly new political party which was opposed to the spread of slavery. Lincoln had gained some fame while debating Stephen A. Douglas two years earlier in a Senate race in Illinois. But he was essentially unknown in the East. The speech he delivered at Cooper Union on February 27, 1860, would make him an overnight star, elevating...

Words: 952 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Abraham Lincoln's Assassination Justified Analysis

...Many see american presidents and immediately think about Abraham Lincoln. This is completely justified considering his outstanding achievements. To start, Abraham prevented the country from falling apart. He did this by deciding to fight the south when they misconceived his notion that he would tolerate slavery only in the states that already had it. During this war is where we see Abraham truly strive as a great leader. His faith in the fairness of his pro-Union policies kept the Union alive during the darkest days of the Civil War. He was a charismatic, persuasive, moral leader who had a strategic vision of his goal, which was to bring the nation together as one again. Abraham Lincoln's foreign policy was successful in preventing other...

Words: 375 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Hi Info

...User Id: CANDIDATES ARE REQUESTED TO RETAIN THE PRINTOUT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PAGE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. Personal Details Name of Candidate: Nationality: Indian Other Nationality: Person with Disability/Differently Abled (PWD/DA): No PWD/DA Category: Do you require wheelchair support at the test centre?: Disability Percentage: Communication Address Hno-19-1-914/3 Muralinagar Bahadurpura Address : State/Union Territory: TELANGANA Other State/Union Territory: Country: India Other Country: City: Hyderabad Pin Code: Other Town/City : Mobile Number: 500064 Other City With Other Country: 9290022422 Mobile Number (Alternate) : Email Address: Email Address (Alternate) : Exam Centre City Preferences Preferred City 1: Hyderabad Preferred City 2: Vishakapatnam Preferred City 3: Vijayawada Preferred City 4 Kurnool Academics Details SSC/10th Std/Equivalent Details Aggregate marks: March Total Marks Obtained : 331 Maximum Marks : 600 SSC/10th Std/Equivalent Board Name Andhra Pradesh Board of Secondary Education 2011 Other Board Name: HSC/12th/Equivalent/Diploma Course Details Course Type: HSC Aggregate Marks: 58.99 Total Marks Obtained: 589 Maximum Marks: 1000 12th/Equivalent Board Name: Andhra Pradesh Board of Intermediate Education Other Board Name: Duration of Diploma Course: University/Board/Other Authority Name: ...

Words: 702 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Us Foreign Policy Analysis

...Throughout the history of the United States, war riddles its short existence. The United States had nineteen eventful years of foreign policy after World War II ended in 1945. It was a time of economic growth and prosperity for the US but involved conflict with the countries from World War II, the Cold War, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. This period had an active foreign policy designed to rescue Europe and Asia from the devastation of World War II and to prevent the expansion of Communism taking place in the Soviet Union and China. Much of the United States’ efforts focused on containment for these nineteen years, which ultimately ended in failure. Another issue that changed foreign policy in the United States was the powerful nuclear weapons...

Words: 992 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Analysis of Unions, Economic Freedom, and Growth

...In an article titled Unions, Economic Freedom, and Growth the authors Randall G. Holcombe and James D. Gwartney attempt to enlighten the audience of the corruptness of modern labor unions while exposing the selfish intentions of many union supported laws. “While unions and economic freedom are conceptually compatible, labor law in the United States, and throughout the world, has restricted the freedom of contract between employees and employers (Holcombe and Gwartney).” Overall the article’s authors rely greatly on a logos approach to convince the readers of their arguments merit. The article was published in the winter 2010 edition of the Cato Journal. A peer-reviewed journal attended for scholars concerned with politics and the economy. The presentation is well thought out, highly educated and easy to follow. The authors’ ethos comes from the positions they hold within their communities. “Randall G. Holcombe is DeVoe Moore Professor of Economics at Florida State University, and James D. Gwartney is Gus A. Stavros Eminent Scholar at Florida State University (Holcombe and Gwartney).” Additionally the authors borrow ethos from over twenty credible sources with captions such as “Botero et al. (2004) find that countries with more regulated labor markets have higher unemployment and lower rates of labor force participation, so the reduction in economic freedom is associated with a reduction in employment (Holcombe and Gwartney) ” and “Siebert (1997) noted that the French minimum...

Words: 879 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Obama State Of The Union Speech Analysis

...President Obama’s State of the Union Address Each year, the President of the United States gives a speech concerning the “state of the Union”. The most recent address was given by Barack Obama in January of 2015. In his State of the Union Address, President Obama is attempting to assure Americans that the Unites States are thriving more now than ever. Through his use of logos and pathos, rhetorical questions, and anecdotes President Obama strengthens his argument and convinces his audience that the United States of America are in a time of economical growth and that the public has no reason to be concerned about the little things, like national debt and terrorism. President Obama initially addresses the number of troops on the ground and involved in war in some way. His approach here is logos because he is providing facts to reassure the audience that something is being done to minimize the number of troops deployed to the lowest number possible. Obama says; “ Six years ago, nearly 180,000 troops served in Iraq and...

Words: 806 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Antithesis In Kennedy's Inaugural Address

...In the height of the Cold War, the newly elected president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, had come to up the eastern portico of the US capitol in Washington DC on a cold January afternoon to deliver his first address in presidency about his plans and goals for the future of the United States. He announced his plan to relieve political tensions with enemies, and improve the way that America was headed for. All of America was listening in on Kennedy’s words, as well as people across the world. President Kennedy, through the use of rhetoric and diction, had one of the most well-constructed, influential, and important speeches ever given. As a result of the anxiety amongst the American population because of the Cold War, Kennedy used many action words...

Words: 687 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Sql File

... Page No. 1. Screen shots of Queries 4-16 2. References 17 QUERY 1 Select name,address from ( select CONCAT(emp_fname,' ',emp_lname) as name , CONCAT(address_st,', ', address_city, ' ',address_state, ' ', address_postcode ) as address, emp_salary_hourly as salary from employee,casual,address where (employee.emp_id = casual.emp_id and employee.address_id_postal= address.address_id) union select CONCAT(emp_fname,' ',emp_lname) as name , CONCAT(address_st,', ', address_city ' ',address_ state, ' ',address_postcode ) as address, emp_salary_yearly as salary from employee, fulltime, address where (employee.emp_id = fulltime.emp_id and employee.address_id_postal= address.address_id)) temp order by salary ; [pic] QUERY 2 select CONCAT(Cust_FName ,' ' , Cust_LName) as Name, CustOrd_Date from CUSTOMERORDER, CUSTOMER where (CUSTOMERORDER.Cust_Number = CUSTOMER.Cust_Number) order by CustOrd_Date desc limit 1 ; [pic] QUERY 3 select str_name,CONCAT(address_st,',',address_city, '',address_state,' ',address_postcode)as address from store,address, where store.address_id= address.address_id) order by str_name; [pic] QUERY 4 select Cust_Number , CONCAT(Cust_FName,' ',Cust_LName)...

Words: 252 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Destination Marketing

...Name Middle Name 2 N ame you would like printed on the card 3 Have you ever been known by any other name? If yes, please give that other name (Full expanded name : initials are not permitted) Last Name / Surname Please Tick Shri Smt. as applicable Kumari Yes No M/s First Name Middle Name 4. Father's Name (Only 'Individual' applicants : Even married women should give father's name only) First Name Last Name / Surname Middle Name 5. Address R. Residential Address Flat/Door/Block No. Name of Premises / Building / Village Road / Street / Lane / Post Office Area / Locality / Taluka / Sub - Division Town / City / District State / Union Territory Pin (Indicating PIN is mandatory) O. Office Address (Name of Office) Flat/Door/Block No. Name of Premises / Building / Village Road / Street / Lane / Post Office Area / Locality / Taluka / Sub - Division State / Union Territory Town / City / District Pin (Indicating PIN is mandatory) 6. Address for communication Please Tick as applicable R or O Tel. No. STD Code email ID 7. Tel. No. 8....

Words: 579 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cuban Missile Crisis

...factor to the Cold War, this can be argued for lifetimes, but learning and researching this event, you can see that the countries involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis are of the same in the Cold War. With our missiles in other countries and Western Europe and Turkey pointing nuclear missiles at the Soviet Union, this was only building the Soviets, which the Soviets felt threatened and needed to put their missiles in places where they could get a better hold on the missile threats. The Soviets had very little support and most countries did not really want to do be in this nuclear standoff, heck, neither did the United States or the Soviet Union. With the Soviet Union feeling uneasy of the numbers of nuclear missiles pointed at them they did not have any other choice, but to look into countries that were in conflicts with any of these current countries and they did have one choice and it was a country that was recently attacked by the United States, it was Cuba. The reason for this was the fact that the United States, under the Kennedy administration, had launched one attack on the island in the previous year of 1961. Both Castro of Cuba and Khrushchev of the Soviet Union saw the missile as a means of deterring further U.S. aggression ( History ). This one...

Words: 1038 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Obama State Of The Union Speech Analysis

...In delivering his State of the Union speech, President Barack Obama made a point to touch on nearly every relevant modern day political subject. Some of his most hard pressed issues included tax hikes on the wealthy, the expansion of publicly funded education to include two years of community college, and a call for cyber security measures well beyond anything enacted to date. Actually his new budget will provide an expanded tuition tax credit. After critical backlash from students, parents, and both partied, Barack Obama decided to drop his proposal that would have ended the popular 529 college savings accounts. Barack Obama stated, “In Iraq and Syria, American leadership, including our military power, is stopping ISIS’s advance.” This is half true, as the U.S. has built a coalition of counties, including Arab nations, with the goal of destroying the group, however ISIS continues to advance in Syria. Obama vowed to fight terrorism tactfully and justly, which might have gotten his most well rounded approval over the course of his hour-long speech. He also expressed intentions to improve diplomatic relations with Cuba/enact major trade agreements with Asian nations and the European Union and improve the state of childcare (for working families specifically) in the...

Words: 696 - Pages: 3