President Obama addressed many issues in his fifth State of the Union address before Congress last Tuesday, including the economy, jobs, immigration, healthcare, energy, and foreign policy. Here are the highlights of the address, detailing some outcomes he hopes to achieve in the coming year.
1. Raise the minimum wage for federal contractors to $10.10 via an executive order. He also asked Congress to raise the federal minimum wage for everyone. (The federal minimum wage, which was last raised in 2009, is currently $7.25 per hour.)
2. Reform unemployment insurance to make it more effective. Obama also stated that Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance that has lapsed for 1.6 million Americans.
3. Reform the tax code to close loopholes that incentivize outsourcing of jobs. Obama called for lower tax rates for businesses to encourage growth here in the U.S.
4. Create a new kind of retirement account to encourage saving. As promised in his address, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum on Wednesday directing the Treasury to create a new savings bond, dubbed “myRA.” This “starter” savings account will be offered through employers.
5. Commit to American energy by encouraging continued use of natural gas. Obama promised to protect federal lands while at the same time encouraging the safe extraction of natural gases which are better for the environment and reduce our reliance on foreign oil. He promised to “cut red tape” in order to get factories built across the country that use natural gas.
6. Complete mission in Afghanistan and end “America’s longest war” by the end of the year. The President’s goal is to remove the majority of the troops currently stationed and serving in Afghanistan, leaving only a small force.
7. Limit the use of drones. “We will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence,” President Obama said.
8. Reform surveillance programs. Obama characterized the work of the intelligence community as “vital” but stressed that the public needs to be confident that their privacy is not being violated.
9. Close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. President Obama wants Congress to lift restrictions on transfers so the prison can be emptied and closed.
10. Use diplomacy with Iran to secure a long-term nuclear deal. America and its allies hope to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb through negotiations. Obama concedes that these negotiations may not work, but they need to be done. He stated that if Congress sends him a sanctions bill that could disrupt these talks, he will veto it.
In addition, Obama asked Congress to work to pass immigration reform (as the Senate did last summer); to “undo the damage” to research and innovation from last year’s cuts and pass a patent reform bill; to help states make preschool freely available to all children; and to help more people with student loan debt. The President also called for business leaders to raise their employees’ wages above the current federal minimum wage of their own accord.
Read the transcript and listen to the recording of the January 28th State of the Union address.
