WASHINGTON -
President Barack Obama set up high-stakes clashes over guns, immigration, taxes and climate change in a State of the Union address that showcased a newly re-elected president determined to mark his legacy in spite of Republicans eager to rein him in.
Obama pushed a raft of new initiatives in his speech Tuesday night - initiatives to improve preschool programs and voting, boost manufacturing and research and development, raise the minimum wage and lower energy use.
Republicans who control the House and hold enough votes to stall legislation in the Senate were quick to declare that the government helps best when it gets out of the way.
In the GOP response, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said more government won't help people get ahead.
Key Points & Proposals
• Major troop withdrawal from Afghanistan - 34,000 by this time next year.
• Pushed for a path to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.
• Wants action on gun control.
• Announced the launch of three manufacturing hubs, where businesses will partner with the Department of Defense and Energy to turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs.
• Asking America to cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20 years.
• Wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00/hr.
• Proposed a "Fix-It-First" program to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, like the nearly 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the country.
• Asks Congress to change the Higher Education Act so that affordability and value are included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid.
• Wants to work with states to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America.
Read the full speech here.
Local Reaction to President Obama's Speech
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo:
"President Obama put forward a bold, comprehensive agenda in his 2013 State of the Union Address that continues to rebuild our nation's economy and strengthens the middle class."
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I):
"President Obama gave a strong speech with a sensible set of priorities. I look forward to working with his administration to create the millions of new jobs we desperately need, to improve our pre-school and educational system and to combat climate change, one of the great threats facing our planet."
Vermont Representative Peter Welch (D):
"President Obama campaigned and won convincingly on pursuing an energetic agenda for middle class progress, ending the war in Afghanistan, confronting the real threat of climate change, and agreeing on a balanced approach to reducing our national debt. Tonight, I was encouraged to see him fully embrace that victory and those important priorities."
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D):
"Strengthening the economy in New Hampshire and the United States is my top priority. I was pleased the President echoed this focus tonight because nothing is more important than bolstering our economy and creating jobs for middle-class families. We should begin with a focus on small businesses, not only because of the role they play in New Hampshire's economy but because of their prominence nationally. Small businesses create two out of every three jobs in the United States so it is critical that we ensure they have the tools they need to flourish."
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
