President Obama delivered a liberal agenda during the State of the Union. (photo: The White House/Facebook)
13 February 10
resident
Barack Obama presented an unabashedly liberal blueprint for his second
term in his State of the Union address, repeatedly challenging Congress
to enact policies that support a growing middle class - and the agenda
that Americans voted for in November.
After declaring the state of the union "stronger," the
president introduced the key theme of his speech: that "to reignite the
true engine of America's economic growth," America needs "a rising,
thriving middle class." To that end, Obama proceeded to lay out several
economic proposals that brought congressional Democrats to their feet -
and left House Speaker John Boehner sitting stonefaced over the
president's left shoulder.
"Deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan,"
Obama declared at one point in his speech; instead he laid out a series
of progressive plans to jumpstart the economy. Obama proposed that we
could "save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax
loopholes and deductions for the well off and well connected," and
called for "a tax code that ensures billionaires with high-powered
accountants can't pay a lower rate than their hard-working secretaries."
The president also suggested raising the federal
minimum wage to $9.00 per hour. Although the proposed increase falls far
short of the $15 per hour
for which liberal entrepreneurs Eric Liu and Nick Hanauer have called,
it is still a highly progressive plan - and a defiant repudiation of
conservative economics.
"Working folks shouldn't have to wait year after year
for the minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher,"
Obama explained.
While Obama acknowledged that Medicare must be
reformed to reduce health care costs, he flatly rejected the notion of
extreme Medicare reforms such as those proposed by House Budget
Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI). "Our government shouldn't make
promises we cannot keep," Obama said, "but we must keep the
promises we've already made"
The president went on to call on Congress to pass the
remaining items in his American Jobs Act, including creating a network
of "manufacturing hubs," investing in clean energy, rebuilding the
nation's infrastructure, and increasing spending on research and
development. Although Obama insisted that none of his proposals would
add a single dime to the deficit, spending-averse Republicans are still
certain to oppose most of these measures. Perhaps as a prebuttal to this
inevitable debate, Obama directly challenged congressional Republicans
to abandon their strategy of constant obstruction - which is currently
playing out in the form of a standoff over sequestration cuts.
"The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting
its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next,"
Obama warned. "Let's agree, right here, right now, to keep the people's
government open, pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith
and credit of the United States of America. The American people have
worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their
elected officials cause another."
In another direct challenge to his Republican
opponents, Obama disputed their continued refusal to act on climate
change - giving the crucial issue one of its highest-profile platforms
in history.
"We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and
the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states
have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence," Obama said, "or we
can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science - and
act before it's too late." The president went on to warn that if
Congress continues to ignore the conclusions of 97 percent of scientists, he will take matters into his own hands by issuing executive orders to directly confront the issue.
While much of Obama's speech tacked to the left, the
president also made several proposals that are backed by vast majorities
of Americans. The president highlighted the work of red states Georgia
and Oklahoma to encourage Congress to act to provide high-quality
preschool for every child. He announced the formation of a non-partisan
commission to improve the voting experience in America, citing the
example of Desiline Victor,
a 102-year-old woman who waited in line for several hours to cast her
ballot. He urged Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Act and the
Paycheck Fairness Act to provide equal rights to women. He encouraged
the bipartisan efforts to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill.
And in the most memorable moment of the speech, he demanded that
Congress vote on his package of gun safety measures.
"Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress,"
Obama said. "If you want to vote no, that's your choice. But these
proposals deserve a vote." Citing the more than two dozen Americans in
the chamber who had been affected by gun violence, Obama declared:
They deserve a vote. Gabby Giffords deserves a vote.
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.
As each of these proposals drew standing ovations from
both Democrats and several Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner's
impassive glare was especially conspicuous. Although congressional
Republicans' opposition to measures such as the Violence Against Women
Act is well established, Boehner provided a memorable visual reminder of
the clear divide between the two major parties.
Making matters worse for Republicans was Florida
senator Marco Rubio's official response to the State of the Union. The
2016 contender flopped in the face of high expectations, delivering a
boilerplate response issuing stern warnings on the debt, and accusing
President Obama of having an "obsession" with raising taxes. If Rubio's
address –which was little more than a reprise of Mitt Romney's stump
speech - is remembered at all, it will be for the senator's awkward grab for a water bottle.
Love it or hate it, President Obama presented the
American people with a clear legislative agenda Tuesday night. If the
Republican Party ever wants to return from the political wilderness, it
will eventually need to do the same.
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