President Barack Obama gave his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, emphasizing his proposals to help the middle class.
A slew of politicians sent out their reactions to the speech.
See more politicians’ reactions to the SOTU address below, and scroll down for the latest updates:
“In the State of the Union tonight, the president talked a lot about the challenges we face as a country, and I appreciate that he finally acknowledges that the middle class is being squeezed. But unfortunately, he has chosen to double down on the failed policies that have prevented so many Utahns and hardworking Americans from getting ahead in the first place. We know these are not serious proposals because the president is not serious about getting them through Congress. For him, it’s all 2016 partisan politics now, and Republicans shouldn’t waste time debating the merits of the president’s political talking points. Instead, Republicans must take advantage of the opportunity the American people have given us. We should be developing and proposing real solutions that address America’s growing Opportunity Deficit. We have anti-poverty initiatives, tax reform that works for working families, innovative new models of higher education, and a number of other solutions that will create jobs and improve our economy. So as the President tries to divide Americans and distract them from the failures of his administration, we shouldn’t take the bait. Instead, Republicans are going to move forward on a positive agenda. I look forward to the opportunity the American people have given us to meet the challenge of our time. “
“Middle class families are struggling. They need better jobs with better benefits. The President just made a lot of promises to fix these problems. They sound good but I’m afraid they will not work. To start, millions of Americans still lack quality, affordable health care. You, not the government, must have the power to make your own health care decisions. We have seen what happens when the government controls health care. Many lost the health insurance and the doctors they had and liked. And for some, health insurance premiums increased as much as 250 percent. This is not acceptable. I am ready to work with the President and with anyone else to fix our country’s problems. Let’s increase the number of good jobs by taking advantage of America’s natural resources. Let’s give parents the ability to choose the best education options for their children. Let’s secure the borders and stop giving special treatment to those who break the law. And let’s give you the tools, the resources to achieve your American Dream. Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness can and must be a reality.”
“The State of our Union is strong, and the state of our President is even stronger when it comes to fighting for the Middle Class and creating jobs. Some may define Barack Obama as a lame duck, but he sure isn’t acting like one. President Obama put forth many substantive proposals in tonight’s address, including steps to continue building our economy, fighting terrorism, rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, enhancing access to higher education, and increasing America’s energy independence through sensible and environmentally-sound methods. Americans want to see our government practice pragmatism rather than partisanship and and innovation rather than ideology. Tonight, President Obama gave us a road map to achieve those goals.”
“The President’s War on Fossil Fuels and nuclear energy is most evident in his unbridled mandates being issued by the EPA. While he markets these regulations as a means to save us from global warming, a recent NERA study predicts the President’s climate agenda would only reduce CO2 concentration by less than one-half of a percent; it would only reduce the average global temperature by less than 2/100th of a degree; and it would only reduce the rise of sea levels by 1/100th of an inch – or the thickness of three sheets of paper. In the meantime, the President’s agenda will cost our economy $479-billion dollars; we will experience a double-digit electricity price increase; and tens of thousands of Americans will lose access to well-paying jobs over the course of the next decade.”
“Tonight President Obama sent one resounding message: he remains wholly out of touch with the priorities of the American people. The president ignores the threat of terrorists and foreign fighters to America both at home and abroad, while also failing to address our porous borders. He has ignored the will of the people, instead choosing to offer up the same tired and failed policy proposals we’ve seen unsuccessfully implemented for the past six years. His out of touch policies and empty rhetoric were rejected last November by voters and nothing he said tonight will change that. In the coming weeks and months, I will do all I can to ensure Congress is providing the leadership that the American people deserve.”
“The President’s remarks tonight are a reminder that the strength of this nation comes from its people – Americans who work, who heal, who educate, who never give up, and who represent the great spirit of independence that is the hallmark of the United States. I was honored to be joined by advocate Joanne Peterson, one of those Americans, who dedicates every day of her life to bringing hope to others. President Obama tonight presented a vision in which all Americans – regardless of race, creed, nationality, gender, or socio-economic status – can access the opportunities that will allow them to maximize their abilities and pursue the American Dream in the 21st century. It is a playbook for strengthening our economy, promoting fairness, creating jobs, and protecting our people and our planet. For too many years, the things that matter so much in life have been beyond the reach of many Americans and their families. Our goal must be to support the middle class and invest in the industries that promote economic growth and job creation in the 21st century.”
live blog Oldest Newest Share + Today 10:09 PM ESTObama Wants ISIS War Authorization But Won't Say If He'll Send Language To Congress HuffPost’s Jen Bendery reports:
President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address on Tuesday night to urge Congress to pass legislation authorizing the ongoing war against Islamic State militants.
But the president gave no signs that he would start that process by sending Congress draft language for an Authorization for the Use of Military Force — something lawmakers have been waiting for him to do for months. To the contrary, White House officials signaled earlier in the day that Obama might not send language at all.
Read the full story here.
“I have no more campaigns to run. I know, because I won both of them,” Obama said.
Obama received a standing ovation when he spoke about reforming the nation’s criminal justice system.
“We may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York. But surely we can understand a father who fears his son can’t walk home without being harassed. Surely we can understand the wife who won’t rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door at the end of his shift,” Obama said. “Surely we can agree it’s a good thing that for the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate have come down together, and use that as a starting point for Democrats and Republicans, community leaders and law enforcement, to reform America’s criminal justice system so that it protects and serves us all.”
Read more here.
President Barack Obama doesn’t often speak about labor unions or the role of collective bargaining in the U.S. economy — that is, unless he’s speaking to a union crowd somewhere on the campaign trail. But the president offered a rare hat-tip to organized labor during his State of the Union speech Tuesday.
“We still need laws that strengthen rather than weaken unions, and give American workers a voice,” he said.
The ‘weaken’ line was likely a reference to the anti-union laws that have sprouted up in Wisconsin, Michigan and other states where Republicans have sought to roll back collective bargaining rights or shrink labor’s footprint in recent years. But it could also be an acknowledgment of the anti-union legislation expected to be taken up by the new GOP Congress.
— Dave Jamieson
Boehner does not clap for marriage equality.
— Sabrina Siddiqui (@SabrinaSiddiqui) January 21, 2015
“I’ve served in Congress with many of you. I know many of you well,” Obama said. “There are a lot of good people here, on both sides of the aisle. And many of you have told me that this isn’t what you signed up for — arguing past each other on cable shows, the constant fundraising, always looking over your shoulder at how the base will react to every decision. Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns. Imagine if we did something different.”
And here was that Maxine Waters Keystone reaction pic.twitter.com/fVJkLyOmjS
— Katherine Miller (@katherinemiller) January 21, 2015
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Republican businesswoman Carly Fiorina blasted President Barack Obama on Tuesday hours before the State of the Union address, disputing the notion that policies enacted during Obama’s six years in office have contributed to an accelerating economic recovery.
“He will apparently declare victory on the economy tonight, but of course, whatever life there is in the economy is not due to his policies, it’s in spite of his policies,” Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard and potential 2016 presidential candidate, said in an interview with Newsmax.
Obama is expected to acknowledge positive economic indicators — including a steadily declining unemployment rate, GDP growth and new highs on Wall Street — when he addresses the nation Tuesday evening. Fiorina’s comments about Obama’s legacy echo those of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who suggested earlier this month that the good news might have something to do with the election of a Republican Congress.
Though considered a long shot for the presidency, Fiorina said she is “seriously considering” throwing her hat into the ring.
— Igor Bobic
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) took to the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, where she offered some clues about President Barack Obama’s annual State of the Union address.
“From what I hear about what he will present, it will reflect what we have seen across the country in terms of what he said last year, reflected across the country: ‘When Women Succeed, America Succeeds,'” she said. “It is about college affordability, about child care, about sick leave, all the kinds of issues that enable families –- not just women -– families to succeed.”
Pelosi invoked the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., a day following the federal holiday in his honor, and signaled that the president would also discuss proposals aimed at providing additional assistance to the middle class.
“So what we hear tonight I know will be in furtherance of increasing that paycheck, starting from the middle, starting from benefits –- when I say benefits, initiatives that benefit the middle class and those who aspire to it –- all of it a reflection of the American people’s thinking, all of it about engagement for what the Reverend Martin Luther King talked about, all of it, hopefully, we will be able to do in a bipartisan way,” she added.
— Igor Bobic
A number of House lawmakers plan to hold up yellow pencils during the State of the Union address tonight in symbolic tribute to the victims of the terrorist attack at the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo.
The tribute is being spearheaded by Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), whose office confirmed on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would reference the victims of the attack during his address.
“In the face of the terrorist attack in France, the pencil has become the international symbol in support of free speech,” the press release from Moore’s office read. “Rather than divide and intimidate us, these brazen and barbaric attacks have united the international community and prompted a global response in defense of the freedom of expression. The Congresswoman believes that this is unique opportunity to join our global partners in showing our collective support and solidarity.”
An official with Moore’s office told The Huffington Post that as of 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, at least seven other lawmakers have agreed to raise yellow pencils in solidarity. The official said that the White House has started making calls to the Hill to see who else plans to participate in the tribute, and expects that by the end of the day, multiple members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus will have joined in.
Moore, for her part, will participate from a wheelchair. The congresswoman took a fall while home during the holidays and is still recovering from broken bones in both her feet and her elbow.
— Sam Stein
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) likened President Barack Obama’s proposal for new bank fees to the memorable “Saturday Night Live” sketch in which a music producer played by Christopher Walken repeatedly calls for “more cowbell.”
According to Politico, Cruz made the comparison on Tuesday when asked if he liked any aspect of Obama’s proposal.
“To every problem his solution was, ‘more cowbell, more cowbell,” Cruz said. “This president, to every problem his solution is ‘more taxes, more government.’”
Read more at Politico.
The Huffington Post reports:
Many are expected to tune into President Obama’s State of the Union Address Tuesday night but few will have the opportunity to hear his remarks in person — and among them will be one of the nation’s oldest living civil rights leaders.
103-year-old Amelia Boynton was invited to attend this year’s annual address by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Al.), who represents Alabama’s 7th Congressional District.
Boynton is largely known for her efforts during the peak of the voting rights movement in the 1960s. She made headlines in newspapers across the nation after she was brutally beaten by policemen during a march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965. The march was later identified as “Bloody Sunday” after Boynton and sixteen of the 600 protesters who demonstrated that day were beaten unconscious and sent to the hospital.
Read more here.
