By Kat Boushee
President Barack Obama delivered his 2011 State of the Union address Tuesday before a joint session of Congress, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and members of the U.S. Supreme Court.
The speech marked his first formal address to a Republican-controlled House of Representatives since last year’s election, but was directed at the American people in an attempt to restore feelings of hope upon which the president built his 2008 campaign.
Obama spent time to address the acrimony that has been brewing between both political parties.
“It’s no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years,” Obama said. “The debates have been contentious, we have fought fiercely for our beliefs, and that’s a good thing; that’s what a robust democracy demands.” He continued, saying that we must remember we are all a part of the “American family.”
Obama also reminded Congress that they were voted into office by the American people, and that they need to work together, not just sit together.
“That’s what the people who sent us here expect of us,” President Obama said.
President Obama also spoke about the job crisis, saying that innovation and creativity are the key to job creation. He told stories of small business owners, and said that he is sending a budget to Congress that will involve investing in biomedical research, information technology and clean energy technology.
He discussed Race to the Top, the education program implemented to replace No Child Left Behind, and encouraged young people to become teachers. He also spoke about illegal immigration, couched in terms of education and success.
“Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens,” Obama said. “Some are the children of undocumented workers, others come here from abroad to study in our colleges and universities; but as soon as they obtain advanced degrees, we send them back home to compete against us – it makes no sense.”
President Obama also spoke about simplifying federal tax codes, cutting spending and reducing healthcare costs, which includes cutting some funding to Medicare and Medicaid. He mentioned merging governmental offices to end redundancies and talked of a new website that will be launched to show where tax dollars are going.
While this speech excited, invigorated and encouraged many people, others feel that they’ve been left out in the cold. The National Education Association said in a 2008 letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that the “Race to the Top” proposal “misses the mark” and that “we should not continue to narrowly focus on charter schools as the only model of reform for schools worthy of serious attention.”
The American Civil Liberties Union took umbrage at the joke President Obama made about pat-downs at airports, releasing an article entitled, “Seriously Mr. President, Pat-Downs are No Joke.”
Barry Rand, the CEO of the AARP, said in a written response to the State of the Union, “We are disappointed by the lasting partisan divisions on the Affordable Care Act—a law that is providing important benefits to older Americans, such as making prescription drugs more affordable by closing the Medicare doughnut hole, making preventive care cost-free, helping those with pre-existing conditions and allowing adult children to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26.”
President Obama ended on a strong note, full of the hope and promise that got him elected.
“The idea of America endures,” he concluded, “Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it’s because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong.”