6 takeways from the State of the Union address


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WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night, emphasizing many areas where the United States has succeed while also proposing new ideas for the country's future successes.

The address was filled with the typical rhetoric of an incumbent president, who proposes lofty goals and speaks about the great feats Americans have overcome in the past year, in addition to the feats Americans have yet accomplished, but eventually will.

"Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger," Obama said. "But we gather here knowing that there are millions of Americans whose hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded."

Although Obama covered a myriad of subjects Tuesday night, the following are just a few of the major takeaways from the speech.

"They deserve a vote."

As I said in my preview article of the State of the Union address, few details will be remembered about the topics spoken about by Obama except for the matter of gun control. And Obama did not disappoint.

Saving the subject of gun control for the end, Obama introduced the importance of voting as a fundamental right for Americans. With that vote, he said, Americans have the opportunity to voice their opinion about anything addressed before the nation. Today, Americans are being asked to voice their opinion about gun control.

"Overwhelming majorities of Americans — Americans who believe in the 2nd Amendment — have come together around common sense reform — like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun," Obama said. "Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets, because they are tired of being outgunned."

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Whether a majority of Americans agree on gun control or not, Obama said it's important that all get a vote. "Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that's your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote."

Touching on the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children were killed at an elementary school, and the thousands of other deaths since that tragic event in December, Obama said, "They deserve a vote."

"Gabby giffords deserves a vote," he added. "The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence — they deserve a simple vote."

Obama said he recognizes that violence can never be prevented, but that the country needs to act to "secure this nation."

"Our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. Indeed, no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve all the challenges I've outlined tonight," he said. "But we were never sent here to be perfect. We were sent here to make what difference we can, to secure this nation, expand opportunity, and uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating, but absolutely necessary work of self-government."

It's still the economy

Obama called on a renewal of the working middle-class, who struggle to find full-time jobs and to survive the ebb and flow of the ever-changing economic market.

"Our economy is adding jobs — but too many people still can't find full-time employment," he said. "It is our generation's task, then, to reignite the true engine of America's economic growth — a rising, thriving middle class."


Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that's your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote.

–Pres. Barack Obama


With the impending deficit talks on the horizon, Obama spoke about working toward a balanced approach at reducing the deficit with cuts, but also by increasing revenue. Citing a campaign promise during the 2012 presidential cycle, Obama said the nation could "save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well-off and well-connected."

He added that it will take hard work to reform the economy, including each party not getting what they want, but said the alternative was too much of a cost to bear for the middle-families most affected by a poor economy.

"The politics will be hard for both sides. None of us will get 100 percent of what we want," he said. "But the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, and visit hardship on millions of hardworking Americans. So let's set party interests aside, and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future."

Citing companies bringing jobs back to the United States — Apple, Caterpillar and Ford — Obama said it is important for an environment to be established where manufacturers will want to do business in America again. To start, Obama said, an emphasis needs to be placed on infrastructure — the rebuilding of roads, bridges and buildings — to help make the United States more attractive to businesses.

Minimum wage increase

As part of the president's plan to improve the economy for middle-class families, Obama called on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it so that men and women are paid equally for similar work, and to increase the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour.

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"Tonight, let's declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour," Obama said. "This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families."

"So here's an idea that Governor Romney and I actually agreed on last year: let's tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on," Obama added.

While raising the minimum wage will increase incomes for many families, a full-time worker would only make $18,000 a year, which is still below the poverty level for a family of four.

Obama said he was raising the minimum wage to keep it with the cost of living. But even at the proposed $9, Americans are still more than a dollar short of what it should be according to CNN Money, which says the federal minimum wage should be at least $10.56.

Energy solutions for the future

In a push to reduce the effects of climate change, Obama spoke about the importance of improving the nation's energy production by improving clean energy, such as solar power and natural gas. Obama said his administration would help to cut the red tape and speed up oil and gas permits, but encouraged Congress to promote research and technology of clean energy to "protect future generations."


I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.

–Pres. Barack Obama


Obama said if Congress wasn't willing to work to improve the cost, research and technology of clean energy, he would look to executive actions he could take to speed up the process. "I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy."

To kickstart the effort, Obama proposed using oil and gas revenues to fund an "Energy Security Trust," which will be used to research new technology to eliminate dependence on oil for all cars and trucks. Additionally, he encouraged each state to come up with new ways to efficiently use clean energy.

"The states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make it happen," he said.

Education must be affordable

Linking education to job growth and future prosperity, Obama said it is important for education to begin at a young age. Obama cited studies that show that the sooner a child begins an education, the better he or she does later in life.

"Most middle-class parents can't afford a few hundred bucks a weeks for private preschool," Obama said. "And for kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives."

As a result, Obama proposed making early childhood education programs more affordable, which he said would save the country more in the long run.

Obama also encouraged high schools to partner with colleges and employers to create classes focused on STEM — science, technology, engineering and math. Additionally, Obama called on Congress to make higher education more affordable to students and said his administration will release a "College Scorecard" to compare higher education institutions so that students can "get the most band for your educational buck."

Government needs to solve problems

Obama called on members of both parties to put aside issues and solve the nation's problems. While the rhetoric was about all parties, Obama seemed to direct his comments toward the Republican Party.

"The American people don't expect government to solve every problem. They don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. But they do expect us to put the nation's interests before party," Obama said. "They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. For they know that America moves forward only when we do so together; and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all."

Although it sounds good to talk about compromise, it is likely things in Congress will not improve in the immediate future, especially with the sequester talks increasing.

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Josh Furlong

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