Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will deliver the Republican Party’s official response to President Barack Obama’s 2015 State of the Union address.
Below, excerpts from her speech as prepared for delivery:
“I’d like to have a conversation about the new Republican Congress you just elected, and how we plan to make Washington focus on your concerns again. We heard the message you sent in November — loud and clear. And now we’re getting to work to change the direction Washington has been taking our country.”
“We see our neighbors agonize over stagnant wages and lost jobs. We see the hurt caused by canceled healthcare plans and higher monthly insurance bills. We see too many moms and dads put their own dreams on hold while growing more fearful about the kind of future they’ll be able to leave to their children. Americans have been hurting, but when we demanded solutions, too often Washington responded with the same stale mindset that led to failed policies like Obamacare. It’s a mindset that gave us political talking points, not serious solutions.”
“There’s a lot we can achieve if we work together. Let’s tear down trade barriers in places like Europe and the Pacific. Let’s sell more of what we make and grow in America over there so we can boost manufacturing, wages, and jobs right here, at home. Let’s simplify America’s outdated and loophole-ridden tax code. Republicans think tax filing should be easier for you, not just the well-connected. So let’s iron out loopholes to lower rates — and create jobs, not pay for more government spending. The President has already expressed some support for these kinds of ideas. We’re calling on him now to cooperate to pass them.”
“We’ve been reminded of terrorism’s reach both at home and abroad; most recently in France and Nigeria, but also in places like Canada and Australia. Our hearts go out to all the innocent victims of terrorism and their loved ones. We can only imagine the depth of their grief. … The forces of violence and oppression don’t care about the innocent. We need a comprehensive plan to defeat them.”
“Congress is back to work on your behalf, ready to make Washington focus on your concerns again. We know America faces big challenges. But history has shown there’s nothing our nation, and our people, can’t accomplish.”
See more from the State of the Union below:
live blog Oldest Newest Share + Today 6:51 PM ESTObama Turns The Page Pres. Obama said in 2007 announcement of candidacy, “It’s time to turn the page.” Tonight’s SOTU advance text: “Tonight we turn the page."
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 20, 2015
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx is the designated survivor for Tuesday night’s address. Each year, someone is appointed to watch the address from a distant and undisclosed location while the nation’s top leaders gather at the Capitol for the State of the Union.
Read more here.
Many prominent individuals will attend 2015 State of the Union address, including this veteran with a heroic story.
Retired Navy Lt. Jim Downing of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the oldest known surviving veteran of the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. To honor his service and bravery, the 101-year-old has been invited to attend President Barack Obama’s annual address by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.).
Lt. Downing is a hero who has lived an incredible life,” Bennet said of his decision to bring the Pearl Harbor survivor to the address, according to the Gazette, a Colorado Springs paper. “Our nation is indebted to him and his fellow sailors for their service in defense of our country.”
Read the full story here.
–Kimberly Yam
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Read more here.
#StateOfTheUnion is tonight. This is how I'm going to watch from work! @WhiteHouse http://t.co/ufWIRBCORy
— Connie Britton (@conniebritton) January 20, 2015
The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake reports on an ad running in the Washington area during Obama’s speech that likens “climate change deniers to other science deniers who turned out to be very wrong.” Read about it here.
Sneak peek at my prep for tonight’s Republican Address following #SOTU pic.twitter.com/kF8a9IVfR4
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) January 20, 2015
HuffPost is interviewing Obama administration officials immediately after the president’s annual State of the Union address on Tuesday.
For more information, go here.
The AP reports:
Key elements of the economic proposals President Barack Obama will outline in his State of the Union address Tuesday appear to be aimed at driving the debate in the 2016 election on income inequality and middle-class economic issues, rather than setting a realistic agenda for Congress.
Obama’s calls for increasing taxes on the wealthy, making community college free for many students and expanding paid leave for workers stand little chance of winning approval from the new Republican majority on Capitol Hill. But the debate over middle-class economics is looking critical for the coming campaign.
Read more here.
Yahoo’s Meredith Shiner reports:
It may only draw half the viewers it once did, but for staffers at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday night’s annual State of the Union address by the president is their Super Bowl.
Read more here.
Check back here for updates on Obama’s annual speech.
