[h=3]By JARED A. FAVOLE[/h]WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama is expected to prod Congress to take steps to spur the economy, in a State of the Union address that is also set to include immigration, gun control, climate change and education as key themes.
His speech Tuesday before a joint session of Congress—scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.—comes as unemployment remains stubbornly high and as deep divides in Washington over government spending, debts and deficits threaten to pull the fragile economy back into a recession.
The speech is seen as a continuation of his second inaugural address, in which the president, fresh off of a convincing re-election win, pushed a series of social policies favored mostly by Democrats and laid out an economic vision that includes trying to overhaul the tax code, rebuild the nation's infrastructure and revive American manufacturing.
Mr. Obama's chief spokesman, Jay Carney, said Monday the core emphasis in the president's big speeches remains the same: "The need to make the economy work for the middle class, because the middle class is the engine that drives this country forward and which will, if it's given the right tools and the right opportunities, will drive us forward in the 21st century."
Republicans welcome the president's expected focus on the economy, but also say he hasn't done enough.
"The White House says they're talking about jobs and the economy. I welcome that engagement," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) said in an interview Sunday. "It seems as if the president is constantly trying to pivot back to jobs and the economy. The reason you see that happening is he's never pursued it."
Richard Norton Smith, presidential historian at the University of Kansas, joins The News Hub to preview of Tuesday night's State of the Union speech from President Barack Obama. Photo: AP.
Mr. Obama will also address a series of automatic spending cuts set to kick in March 1—the so-called sequester—which could threaten economic growth, national—security preparation and the jobs of thousands of federal employees. Mr. Obama has called on Congress to pass a temporary measure of spending reductions and new taxes to replace the across-the-board cuts.
Republicans have said they don't want to consider new taxes, and want Mr. Obama and Democrats instead to make significant changes to entitlement programs including Social Security and Medicare to reduce their mounting costs, something they are reluctant to do.
While the economy and the budget battle are expected to take starring roles, Mr. Obama will also address a series of social issues that have gained momentum in recent months, including guns and immigration.
Calls for overhauling the immigration system have grown since the election. Mr. Obama and a bipartisan group of senators have separately offered proposals to provide a path to citizenship to the roughly 11 million immigrants in the country illegally. Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) is among the group of senators and was selected to offer the GOP's response to the president's speech. He will deliver the response in both English and Spanish.
On guns, Mr. Obama has called for expanding background checks, placing restrictions on high-capacity clips and banning certain types of military-like weapons to reduce gun violence. Gun groups, such as the National Rifle Association, have said they will aggressively lobby against his proposals.
The push on guns grew out of the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in December that left 20 children and six adults dead.
While Mr. Obama speaks, some of those touched by gun violence will be in the audience. A fourth-grader from the elementary school will be a guest of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and first lady Michelle Obama will be accompanied by the parents of a teenager who was shot to death last month.
Barack Obama
Other issues expected to be in the spotlight include climate change and what are expected to be new efforts to curb power-plant emissions, as well as a focus on the "bookends" of education—early childhood schooling and college.
Also, Mr. Obama may give a signal on his plans for the long-term U.S. presence in Afghanistan. While military officials once envisioned a long-term force of 15,000 or more troops in the country after 2014, the White House has requested the Pentagon provide options ranging from 3,000 to 9,000.
Following the speech, Mr. Obama will hit the road to sell his ideas to audiences in North Carolina, Georgia and Illinois.
Write to Jared A. Favole at [email protected]
His speech Tuesday before a joint session of Congress—scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.—comes as unemployment remains stubbornly high and as deep divides in Washington over government spending, debts and deficits threaten to pull the fragile economy back into a recession.
The speech is seen as a continuation of his second inaugural address, in which the president, fresh off of a convincing re-election win, pushed a series of social policies favored mostly by Democrats and laid out an economic vision that includes trying to overhaul the tax code, rebuild the nation's infrastructure and revive American manufacturing.
Mr. Obama's chief spokesman, Jay Carney, said Monday the core emphasis in the president's big speeches remains the same: "The need to make the economy work for the middle class, because the middle class is the engine that drives this country forward and which will, if it's given the right tools and the right opportunities, will drive us forward in the 21st century."
Republicans welcome the president's expected focus on the economy, but also say he hasn't done enough.
"The White House says they're talking about jobs and the economy. I welcome that engagement," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R., Va.) said in an interview Sunday. "It seems as if the president is constantly trying to pivot back to jobs and the economy. The reason you see that happening is he's never pursued it."
Richard Norton Smith, presidential historian at the University of Kansas, joins The News Hub to preview of Tuesday night's State of the Union speech from President Barack Obama. Photo: AP.
Mr. Obama will also address a series of automatic spending cuts set to kick in March 1—the so-called sequester—which could threaten economic growth, national—security preparation and the jobs of thousands of federal employees. Mr. Obama has called on Congress to pass a temporary measure of spending reductions and new taxes to replace the across-the-board cuts.
Republicans have said they don't want to consider new taxes, and want Mr. Obama and Democrats instead to make significant changes to entitlement programs including Social Security and Medicare to reduce their mounting costs, something they are reluctant to do.
While the economy and the budget battle are expected to take starring roles, Mr. Obama will also address a series of social issues that have gained momentum in recent months, including guns and immigration.
Calls for overhauling the immigration system have grown since the election. Mr. Obama and a bipartisan group of senators have separately offered proposals to provide a path to citizenship to the roughly 11 million immigrants in the country illegally. Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) is among the group of senators and was selected to offer the GOP's response to the president's speech. He will deliver the response in both English and Spanish.
On guns, Mr. Obama has called for expanding background checks, placing restrictions on high-capacity clips and banning certain types of military-like weapons to reduce gun violence. Gun groups, such as the National Rifle Association, have said they will aggressively lobby against his proposals.
The push on guns grew out of the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in December that left 20 children and six adults dead.
While Mr. Obama speaks, some of those touched by gun violence will be in the audience. A fourth-grader from the elementary school will be a guest of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and first lady Michelle Obama will be accompanied by the parents of a teenager who was shot to death last month.
Other issues expected to be in the spotlight include climate change and what are expected to be new efforts to curb power-plant emissions, as well as a focus on the "bookends" of education—early childhood schooling and college.
Also, Mr. Obama may give a signal on his plans for the long-term U.S. presence in Afghanistan. While military officials once envisioned a long-term force of 15,000 or more troops in the country after 2014, the White House has requested the Pentagon provide options ranging from 3,000 to 9,000.
Following the speech, Mr. Obama will hit the road to sell his ideas to audiences in North Carolina, Georgia and Illinois.
Write to Jared A. Favole at [email protected]