Previewing Concerns Over President Obama's State of the Union Address

2015 State of the Union 

Today in Washington, D.C. - Jan. 20, 2015:
President Barack Obama will deliver his State of the Union Address to the Joint Session of Congress at 9 PM. Both the Senate and House will gather House of Representatives for a Joint Session of Congress. The Washington Post reported that "Obama has the worst State of the Union record since Ford ... From 2009 through 2014, Mr. Obama issued 209 different calls for action from Congress in his speeches, but only saw lawmakers follow through on 64 of them — good for just 30 percent." Regardless of the measurement by WPO. we can be thnakful for the Congresws listening to its constituents and not passing the entire progressive package proposed by Mr. Obama.

Former Congressman, Dr. Ron Paul notes, " As usual, you can expect more of the same empty rhetoric we've heard for the past seven years - hope, change, a "new" direction. And you can be certain Big Government will be front and center - with President Obama promising everything under the sun to anyone who simply gives up their liberty and places their "trust" in government. There's no telling what meaningless promises Barack Obama will make to the American people tonight."

The House reconvened at Noon today. And then recessed the House until 2 PM today.

The Senate reconvened at 10 AM today. Following an hour morning business, the Senate resumed consideration of S.1, the bill to authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

At 2:15 PM, the Senate will begin voting on amendments to S.1.

This morning on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell explained what he hoped to hear from the president in his State of the Union Address tonight.

“Tonight is a big moment for the president -- and for our country,” Leader McConnell said. "The tone he strikes, and the issues he highlights, it will tell us a lot about what to expect in his presidency’s final act. There's a lot riding on it. We'll be listening closely.

“One option is the path he's been on for so many years. I sincerely hope he makes a different choice. The American people just spoke in clear terms about this direction: they called for a new one. We should work together to make Washington focus on their concerns.

“Working with the new Congress for positive change — that’s the second option for President Obama. It’s the one struggling families and serious policymakers urge him to choose. The new Congress has already started to take up smart, bipartisan ideas focused on jobs and reform. But when we’ve asked the White House for constructive engagement, what we’ve seen so far has been discouraging.

“We need to change this dynamic. Let's turn the page. The State of the Union offers that opportunity.”

Unfortunately, preliminary reports suggest that President Obama is looking at path of confrontation as he once again appears to be calling for more taxes and more spending.

The Washington Times expects "Obama to gloat over resurgent U.S. economy in State of the Union address."

The Wall Street Journal writes, “President Barack Obama ’s plan for billions of dollars in tax increases and higher government spending, to be outlined in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, is reigniting familiar partisan debates about overhauling the tax code and how to best aid the middle class. The White House views Mr. Obama’s proposals as the start of a broad discussion with the new Republican Congress over a rewrite of the tax code that includes not just corporate but individual taxation, as GOP lawmakers have wanted. But in calling for tax increases, the White House may have complicated negotiations on an issue that both parties recently cited as ripe.

“Mr. Obama surprised Republican leaders when the White House announced over the weekend that he will propose some $320 billion in tax increases over 10 years . . . . The plan would increase taxes on investments held by high-income households by boosting top capital-gains tax rates and imposing capital-gains tax on many inherited assets. Republicans, who control the House and Senate, have balked at the president’s plan, calling it the type of redistribution of wealth that Mr. Obama has long known Republicans oppose.”

Tax increases that hurt small businesses, farmers, and investors sure sounds like the same path this White House has chosen in the past, rather than responding to the clear message American voters sent in November.

As Leader McConnell said, “The American people aren’t demanding talking-point proposals designed to excite the base but not designed to pass. What they said they’re hungry for is substance and accomplishment. They want Washington to get back to work and focus on a serious jobs and reform agenda. They said they’re ready to see more constructive cooperation, especially on bipartisan jobs initiatives.

“Bipartisan jobs initiatives like the Keystone infrastructure bill. Keystone has support in both parties. It’s an important piece of infrastructure for our country. And, according to what the Obama Administration’s own State Department has said previously, constructing the pipeline would support thousands of jobs. It’s already passed the House. We’re currently working to pass it through the Senate. It will be on the president’s desk before long. We see no reason for him to veto these jobs.”

Another important indicator of which path the president will choose tonight will be whether he again disparages and threatens to veto this job-creating legislation.

So will the president choose more confrontation or work for present “some positive, bipartisan ideas of his own that can pass the Congress Americans just voted for?”

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