Obama addresses the nation
"We don't quit. I don't quit."
Pearl Karamitros
Issue date: 2/3/10 Section: News
President Barack Obama spoke to the nation Wednesday, Jan. 27 with his State of the Union address. The President's speech was delivered in a seemingly free, almost casual tone. The speech was easy on the ears but had some interwoven fight and spark.
Obama challenged his opposition, the Republicans, again and again. It started early on in the speech when he described the 25 different tax cuts that were passed in the last year. Obama received applause from Democrats but silence from Republicans.
Straying from his written speech, Obama jokingly ad-libbed, "I thought I'd get some applause on that one," as he stared down the Republican side of the room.
The tax cuts included cuts for 95% of working families, first-time home buyers, low-income families and 8 million Americans paying for college. Taxes for small businesses were also cut.
Jobs and the economy was a major focus of Wednesday night.
Obama said jobs "must be our number one focus in 2010." He called for a new jobs bill and announced a goal of doubling exports over the next five years. He said the increase should support 2 million jobs in America.
When it came to education, Obama showed his support by proposing a $10,000 tax credit for families who are paying for four years of college. He also called for increasing Pell grants and requiring students to pay only 10% of their income on student loans, and then forgiving their debt after 20 years. If they choose a career in public service, the loans could be forgiven in 10 years. "Because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college," said Obama.
Obama also proposed a new generation of "safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country," and judicious offshore drilling, a Republican-pleasing proposal. He then asked everyone in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to revisit the Health Care Plan, exhorting Congress "not to walk way from reform."
In the address, the president restated his promise to end the war in Iraq, saying the United States will have all combat troops out of the country in seven months, by the end of August. About Afghanistan, the president shared his hope that the transition of duties to Afghan Security Forces will begin by July 2011. Obama warned that Iran will face growing consequences if it continues to violate international agreements as it pursues nuclear weapons.
Relating to the country's war and military, Obama said he would work to repeal "the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are." Obama campaigned on this promise, saying he would repeal the law in his first year of office.
At the end, Obama admitted that he had a tough year and made some mistakes. "Our administration has had some political setbacks this year, and some of them were deserved," said Obama.
"We have finished a difficult year ... But a new year has come ...We don't quit. I don't quit. "
Obama challenged his opposition, the Republicans, again and again. It started early on in the speech when he described the 25 different tax cuts that were passed in the last year. Obama received applause from Democrats but silence from Republicans.
Straying from his written speech, Obama jokingly ad-libbed, "I thought I'd get some applause on that one," as he stared down the Republican side of the room.
The tax cuts included cuts for 95% of working families, first-time home buyers, low-income families and 8 million Americans paying for college. Taxes for small businesses were also cut.
Jobs and the economy was a major focus of Wednesday night.
Obama said jobs "must be our number one focus in 2010." He called for a new jobs bill and announced a goal of doubling exports over the next five years. He said the increase should support 2 million jobs in America.
When it came to education, Obama showed his support by proposing a $10,000 tax credit for families who are paying for four years of college. He also called for increasing Pell grants and requiring students to pay only 10% of their income on student loans, and then forgiving their debt after 20 years. If they choose a career in public service, the loans could be forgiven in 10 years. "Because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college," said Obama.
Obama also proposed a new generation of "safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country," and judicious offshore drilling, a Republican-pleasing proposal. He then asked everyone in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to revisit the Health Care Plan, exhorting Congress "not to walk way from reform."
In the address, the president restated his promise to end the war in Iraq, saying the United States will have all combat troops out of the country in seven months, by the end of August. About Afghanistan, the president shared his hope that the transition of duties to Afghan Security Forces will begin by July 2011. Obama warned that Iran will face growing consequences if it continues to violate international agreements as it pursues nuclear weapons.
Relating to the country's war and military, Obama said he would work to repeal "the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are." Obama campaigned on this promise, saying he would repeal the law in his first year of office.
At the end, Obama admitted that he had a tough year and made some mistakes. "Our administration has had some political setbacks this year, and some of them were deserved," said Obama.
"We have finished a difficult year ... But a new year has come ...We don't quit. I don't quit. "
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