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| Obama, in State of the Union, highlights tax reform, community college plans | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| President Obama delivered a State of the Union address Tuesday night focused on helping the middle class, highlighting his tax proposals targeting the wealthy and big banks even as Republicans voiced opposition. | |
| “Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well?’’ the president asked a joint session of Congress. “Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?” | |
| “That’s what middle-class economics is — the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules,” Obama said in a reprise of one of the key themes that animated his reelection campaign in 2012. | |
| [Live Updates: State of the Union] | [Live Updates: State of the Union] |
| In a wide-ranging address, the president called for tax reform that eliminates corporate-friendly loopholes, highlighted his earlier proposal for free community college and delivered a forceful zinger aimed at conservatives and other critics of his plans to tackle global warming. | |
| “2014 was the planet’s warmest year on record. Now, one year doesn’t make a trend, but this does — 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century,’’ Obama said. “I’ve heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they’re not scientists; that we don’t have enough information to act.’’ | |
| “Well, I’m not a scientist, either. But you know what — I know a lot of really good scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities. The best scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we’ll continue to see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, conflict, and hunger around the globe.’’ | |
| In the Republican response, Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa) also sought to focus on middle-class issues, saying that she and her GOP colleagues “see our neighbors agonize over stagnant wages and lost jobs.’’ Citing the GOP’s victory in the November midterm elections, the freshman senator called for conservative solutions and said: “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.” | |
| The president entered the House chamber at his highest political standing since Democrats suffered a crushing defeat in the midterms, lifted by an improving economy and public approval ratings that just hit 50 percent for the first time in nearly two years. In recent weeks, Obama has toured the country trying to build momentum for the speech and put Republicans on the defensive. | |
| His renewed sense of confidence was reflected Tuesday night in an assertive speech designed to showcase the administration’s concern for middle-class economics and families, the excerpts showed. Among other proposals, Obama called for raising $320 billion over the next decade in new taxes targeting wealthy individuals and big financial institutions to pay for new programs designed to help lower- and middle-income families. He also proposed raising the capital gains and dividend tax rates to 28 percent for high earners; imposing a fee on the liabilities of about 100 big financial institutions; and greatly broadening the amount of inherited money subject to taxes. | |
| It is those proposals, telegraphed by the administration in the buildup to the speech, that are already provoking strong opposition from Republicans. | |
| Even with his improved political standing at home, Obama went before a joint session of Congress at a time of rising tensions abroad, with U.S. leadership being questioned in many quarters. In response, the president defended his military campaign in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State and called for aggressive efforts against the growing problem of cyberterrorism. | |
| “In Iraq and Syria, American leadership — including our military power — is stopping ISIL’s advance,’’ he said, using an acronym for the Islamic State. “Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group.’’ | |
| Weeks after the administration accused North Korea of spearheading a major cyberattack on Sony Pictures, Obama said: “No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids. We are making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyberthreats, just as we have done to combat terrorism.’’ | |
| The president’s proposals represent a continuation of a White House tone and tenor since the midterms that has been anything but conciliatory, an approach that has raised doubts about whether the president can — or wants to — break through partisan gridlock before voters choose his successor next year. | The president’s proposals represent a continuation of a White House tone and tenor since the midterms that has been anything but conciliatory, an approach that has raised doubts about whether the president can — or wants to — break through partisan gridlock before voters choose his successor next year. |
| Hours before the speech, leaders of the Senate’s new Republican majority said they wanted to hear an address that focuses on areas where the two parties can compromise, not the issues that divide them. They mentioned trade and energy as possible areas where consensus can be reached. | Hours before the speech, leaders of the Senate’s new Republican majority said they wanted to hear an address that focuses on areas where the two parties can compromise, not the issues that divide them. They mentioned trade and energy as possible areas where consensus can be reached. |
| “What to hope to hear tonight is an emphasis on things we can agree on,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He called for a speech “that brings us together and doesn’t push us apart’’ and criticized the president’s plan to impose new taxes on the wealthy. | “What to hope to hear tonight is an emphasis on things we can agree on,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He called for a speech “that brings us together and doesn’t push us apart’’ and criticized the president’s plan to impose new taxes on the wealthy. |
| “Another income redistribution effort, another tax increase is not what we had in mind,” McConnell said. | “Another income redistribution effort, another tax increase is not what we had in mind,” McConnell said. |
| Added Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio): “I hope he is listening to the results of the 2014 election. It wasn’t just about electing a Republican majority. It was also about the American people saying we want you guys to get together and get some things done.” | Added Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio): “I hope he is listening to the results of the 2014 election. It wasn’t just about electing a Republican majority. It was also about the American people saying we want you guys to get together and get some things done.” |
| Democrats said Republicans have been disingenuous about bipartisanship, and inside the West Wing, presidential advisers said they don’t think Obama’s aggressive rollout of executive actions and new proposals would further poison the political environment or diminish his chances of working with Republicans on what could be lasting achievements. | Democrats said Republicans have been disingenuous about bipartisanship, and inside the West Wing, presidential advisers said they don’t think Obama’s aggressive rollout of executive actions and new proposals would further poison the political environment or diminish his chances of working with Republicans on what could be lasting achievements. |
| Rather, aides said, the GOP will pursue bipartisan legislation when it is in the party’s best interest, pointing to Republican support for a $1 trillion spending plan last month to keep the government open. | |
| White House allies have been buoyed by the president’s newly vigorous posture. After two years in which the White House often found itself on the defensive amid a series of domestic and international crises, the president and his advisers have made “a tactical change,” said Simon Rosenberg, founder of the New Democrat Network, a liberal think tank. “They’re doing a better job at creating attention around the fact that they actually have a plan, a series of things they want to do.” | White House allies have been buoyed by the president’s newly vigorous posture. After two years in which the White House often found itself on the defensive amid a series of domestic and international crises, the president and his advisers have made “a tactical change,” said Simon Rosenberg, founder of the New Democrat Network, a liberal think tank. “They’re doing a better job at creating attention around the fact that they actually have a plan, a series of things they want to do.” |
| Although Obama has vetoed just two bills in his six years in office, the White House has threatened to veto five measures from Congress this month alone — including legislation that would authorize the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline, tie funding of the Department of Homeland Security to a rollback of Obama’s executive actions on immigration, and impose new economic sanctions on Iran. | Although Obama has vetoed just two bills in his six years in office, the White House has threatened to veto five measures from Congress this month alone — including legislation that would authorize the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline, tie funding of the Department of Homeland Security to a rollback of Obama’s executive actions on immigration, and impose new economic sanctions on Iran. |
| Obama vowed in a private meeting with Democrats last week that he will play “offense” during the final two years of his presidency, building on the aggressive executive actions he laid out over the past two months. The legislative proposals he has previewed, which also include a plan for free community college, have been based firmly on his terms, drawing objections from Republicans. | Obama vowed in a private meeting with Democrats last week that he will play “offense” during the final two years of his presidency, building on the aggressive executive actions he laid out over the past two months. The legislative proposals he has previewed, which also include a plan for free community college, have been based firmly on his terms, drawing objections from Republicans. |
| Yet as Obama takes his case to the American public in his address, he has made clear that he doesn’t intend to cede much ground to his rivals. | Yet as Obama takes his case to the American public in his address, he has made clear that he doesn’t intend to cede much ground to his rivals. |
| “Some of them are going to be legislative proposals Republicans may not love, but we’ll push them,” White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He emphasized that the administration will use “every lever we can — whether it’s with Congress, on our own or using the bully pulpit.” | “Some of them are going to be legislative proposals Republicans may not love, but we’ll push them,” White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He emphasized that the administration will use “every lever we can — whether it’s with Congress, on our own or using the bully pulpit.” |