One of the
responsibilities for the Chief Executive is delineated by Article 2, Section 3 (a): He shall from time to time give to the
Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their
consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. Televised State of the Union addresses are
usually unexcitingly mundane political theatre, and President Obama’s 2014
speech deviated very little from his previous ones or those of other presidents
in contemporary modern times. The Republican response afterwards was rather
anemic and commentary by syndicated columnist David Brooks and political
commentator Marc Shields on the PBS McNeil/Lehrer
News Hour didn’t find much substance in the address, either. Mr. Brooks mentioned that it lacked anything
dealing with outlining policy, which he found a little disappointing, but that
criticism is a usual complaint based mostly on partisan ideology. The thing is,
though, the event is not the appropriate forum for policy formulation but
rather serves as a national stage for the president to share his assessment on
the overall health of the nation and to offer recommendations to Congress for
implementation of legislation that will,
in the words of the Preamble, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings
of liberty to ourselves and our posterity; as well as life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness as articulated in the Declaration of Independence.
President Obama is certainly not shy about heaping high praise upon First Lady Michelle Obama and her Let’s Move partnership that has supposedly contributed, based on her example, influence, and advocacy, the reduction of the upward trend in childhood obesity for the first time in 30 years. Additionally, Michelle and Jill Biden launched the Joining Forces Alliance which has been a vehicle to provide incentives for employers to hire and train more than 400,000 veterans and military spouses. I wonder if there is a website or information that can be accessed to find out how these organizations are really performing and the success rate, beyond all the rhetorical spin and fuzzy math. Of course it is to be expected that there would be compelling human interest stories of real, hardworking Americans like teachers, farmers, autoworkers, rural doctors, pizzaria workers, blue collar workers, female single parents, or the child of a non-English speaking factory worker. The most emotional moment was about the life of Army Ranger Sgt. Corey Remsburg, who was severely wounded while on his tenth deployment was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb in
Although
no specific policy was highlighted, what was introduced were numerous programs
and foreign policy strategies; some old some new, such as:
1.
The White House just organized a College
Opportunity Summit where
already, 150 universities, businesses, and nonprofits have made concrete
commitments to reduce inequality in access to higher education.
2.
Reforming the tax code because complicated loopholes that punish businesses
investing here; end those incentives to ship jobs overseas, and lower tax rates
for businesses that create jobs here at home (old news).
3.
Create jobs rebuilding our roads, upgrading our ports, unclogging our commutes
– Congress protect more than three
million jobs by finishing transportation and waterways bills .But I will act on
my own to slash bureaucracy and streamline the permitting process for key
projects, so we can get more construction workers on the job as fast as
possible (old news).
4.
High-tech manufacturing in Raleigh , North Carolina and Youngstown ,
Ohio
5.
Bank loans to small business owners (old news).
6.
Bi-partisan trade promotion authority to protect our workers, protect our
environment, and open new markets to new goods stamped “Made in the USA
7.
A patent reform bill that allows our businesses to stay focused on innovation,
not costly, and needless litigation.
8.
Businesses plan to invest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural
gas. I’ll cut red tape to help states get those factories built and put folks
to work, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling
stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural
gas (old news).
9.
Environmental protection: strengthening protection of our air, our water, and
our communities. I’ll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal
lands for future generations (old news).
10. A smarter tax policy that stops giving $4
billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don’t need it, so that we can
invest more in fuels of the future that do (old news).
11.
Climate change (old news).
12.
Immigration reform (old news).
13.
An American
Job Center
14.
Vice-President Biden to lead an across-the-board reform of America
15.
Reforming unemployment insurance so that it’s more effective in today’s
economy. But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance
you just let expire for 1.6 million people (old news).
16. We worked with lenders to reform student
loans. We’re offering millions the opportunity to cap their monthly student
loan payments to ten percent of their income, and I want to work with Congress
to see how we can help even more Americans who feel trapped by student loan
debt (old news).
17.
I asked this Congress to help states make high-quality pre-K available to
every four year-old. Race to the Top, guaranteeing every child
access to a world-class education. So just as we worked with states to reform
our schools, this year, we’ll invest in new partnerships with states and
communities across the country in a race to the top for our youngest children.
And as Congress decides what it’s going to do, I’m going to pull together a
coalition of elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing
to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K they need (old news).
18. Last year, I also pledged to connect 99
percent of our students to high-speed broadband over the next four years.
Tonight, I can announce that with the support of the FCC and companies like
Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, we’ve got a down payment to start
connecting more than 15,000 schools and twenty million students over the next
two years, without adding a dime to the deficit.
19. We’re working to redesign high schools and
partner them with colleges and employers that offer the real-world education
and hands-on training that can lead directly to a job and career (old news).
20. And I’m reaching out to some of America
NOTE: This was quite unexpected and the quietude in the Chamber was so
deafening that you could hear a pin drop a midst the astonished crowd; along
with the multitude of hushed whispers. NO APPLAUSE FOR THIS CAUSE.
21.
Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for
every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it’s an embarrassment. A
woman deserves equal pay for equal work. It’s time to do away with workplace
policies that belong in a “Mad Men” episode (old news).
NOTE: I think this is the first time that a State of the Union speech
referenced a series on HBO.
22.
Lifting the minimum wage to $10.10; it’s easy to remember-ten ten.
23.
Let’s do more to help Americans save for retirement. I will direct the Treasury
to create a new way for working Americans to start their own retirement
savings: MyRA MyRA
24.
And because of the Affordable Care Act”
more than three million Americans under age 26 have gained coverage under their
parents’ plans. More than nine million Americans have signed up for private
health insurance or Medicaid coverage. And here’s another number: zero. Because
of this law, no American, none, zero, can ever again be dropped or denied
coverage for a preexisting condition like asthma, back pain, or cancer. And we did all this while adding years to
Medicare’s finances, keeping Medicare premiums flat, and lowering prescription
costs for millions of seniors (old news).
25. Citizenship means standing up for everyone’s
right to vote. Last year, part of the Voting Rights
Act was weakened. But
conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are working together to
strengthen it; and the bipartisan commission I appointed, chaired by my
campaign lawyer and Governor Romney’s campaign lawyer, came together and have
offered reforms so that no one has to wait more than a half hour to vote (old
news).
NOTE: The political commentators and pundits punted on this one, too (no
pun intended).
26.
Citizenship means standing up for the lives that “gun violence” steals from us
each day. I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police
officers all over this country who say “we are not afraid,” and I intend to
keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from
visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, shopping malls, or schools
like Sandy Hook (old news).
FOREIGN SECURITY/NATIONAL SECURITY:
27.
And I know this chamber agrees that few Americans give more to their country
than our diplomats [Benghazi
consulate in Libya] and the men and women of the United States Armed Forces
(old news).
28. After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan Afghanistan
29. While we have put al Qaeda’s core leadership
on a path to defeat, the threat has evolved, as
al Qaeda affiliates and other extremists take root in different parts of
the world. In Yemen , Somalia , Iraq ,
and Mali
30.
In Syria
31. New threats like cyber-attacks (old news).
32.
The prudent limits on the use of drones (old news; foreign/domestic??).
33.
I will reform our surveillance programs – because the vital work of our
intelligence community depends on public confidence, here and abroad, that the
privacy of ordinary people is not being violated (old news).
34.
This needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee
transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo
Bay
35.
American diplomacy has rallied more than fifty countries to prevent nuclear
materials from falling into the wrong hands, and allowed us to reduce our own
reliance on Cold War stockpiles (old news).
36.
Syria
37.
American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in
difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and
an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the
State of Israel – a Jewish state that knows America
38.
Iran Iran
39.
Iran
40. Our alliance with Europe
remains the strongest the world has ever known.
NOTE: Is this statement overlooking the NSA documents about U.S.
41.
From Tunisia to Burma Ukraine Africa , we’re bringing together businesses and
governments to double access to electricity and help end extreme poverty. In
the [South] Americas China
42.
As this time of war draws to a close, a new generation of heroes returns to
civilian life. We’ll keep slashing that backlog so our veterans receive the
benefits they’ve earned, and our wounded warriors receive the health care –
including the mental health care – that they need. We’ll keep working to help
all our veterans translate their skills and leadership into jobs here at home.
And we all continue to join forces to honor and support our remarkable military
families (old news).
January
30, 2014
