On January 28th, President Obama gave his annual State of the Union Address. He talked about many issues, both in foreign and domestic policy.
During his speech, President Obama stated his intentions to step away from Congress to make progress on his own. He declared that he would approach economic disparity with a set of limited initiatives on jobs, wages, and retirement and that he would enact these without the approval of the legislature. He announced that he would raise minimum wage to $10.10 an hour for future federal contract workers. Obama also called for eliminating $4 billion in tax subsidies for the fossil fuel industries and instead invest in more green fuels.
He also stressed equal pay for women, saying that they only make 77 cents for each dollar a man earns and called it “wrong” and an “embarrassment”. Obama said that the people at the top of the economy have “never done better”, but most Americans are working too hard just to get by, and that inequalities have deepened.
In addition to his promises for the future, he brought up successes with foreign policy, like forcing Syria to give up chemical weapons, and getting Iran to negotiate. He also stood by his plan to pull troops out of Afghanistan, and threatened to veto sanctions on Iran that blocked his diplomatic efforts.
With this, he introduced Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg, who was injured by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Sergeant Remsburg, who is blind in one eye and is learning to walk again, stood up and waved to the applauding crowd. Obama equated Sgt. Remsburg’s struggles to the troubles of America as a nation through history and present times.
Obama reiterated the necessity for lawmakers to allow Guantanamo Bay to be closed and for detainees to be quickly transferred to other prisons. He brought up Republicans’ backlash to his healthcare program, saying, “Let’s not have another 40-something votes to repeal a law that’s already helping Americans”.
President Obama believes that a series of small steps will lead to a nation with expanded opportunity. His promise to employ executive power is an important step in his administration.
Obama has signed the least executive orders out of all American presidents, but this address may indicate that he’s willing to tackle issues he has previously avoided like immigration and same-sex marriage.
