WASHINGTON—The applause was overwhelming for President Obama’s first State of the Nation address to a joint session of congress on Tuesday.
The focus, as expected was on the economy, and while the president spent some time discussing the current state of affairs, the bulk of the speech was about his plans for improvement.
“Now is the time to act boldly and wisely—to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down,” said the President.
Obama reaffirmed his commitments to a net tax cut for most Americans and to trimming the fat out of the federal budget even as overall federal spending is set to increase with the recently passed stimulus package.
“Everyone in this chamber—Democrats and Republicans—will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars,” said Obama. “And that includes me. But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges.”
Addressing his republican critics in congress, of whom only three voted for his stimulus package, Obama said, “I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways.
“But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.”
The President ended his speech with three inspiring anecdotes about Americans holding strong in the face of crisis: a CEO who sold his company then split his $60 million bonus between all of his employees, the residents who are rebuilding a town in Kansas, which was destroyed by a tornado, as a global example of how to use green energy, and a young girl who is a student in a dilapidated school in South Carolina who asked for the President’s help and assured them that “We are not quitters.”
The focus, as expected was on the economy, and while the president spent some time discussing the current state of affairs, the bulk of the speech was about his plans for improvement.
“Now is the time to act boldly and wisely—to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down,” said the President.
Obama reaffirmed his commitments to a net tax cut for most Americans and to trimming the fat out of the federal budget even as overall federal spending is set to increase with the recently passed stimulus package.
“Everyone in this chamber—Democrats and Republicans—will have to sacrifice some worthy priorities for which there are no dollars,” said Obama. “And that includes me. But that does not mean we can afford to ignore our long-term challenges.”
Addressing his republican critics in congress, of whom only three voted for his stimulus package, Obama said, “I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways.
“But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.”
The President ended his speech with three inspiring anecdotes about Americans holding strong in the face of crisis: a CEO who sold his company then split his $60 million bonus between all of his employees, the residents who are rebuilding a town in Kansas, which was destroyed by a tornado, as a global example of how to use green energy, and a young girl who is a student in a dilapidated school in South Carolina who asked for the President’s help and assured them that “We are not quitters.”
