President Barack Obama laid out his plans to establish an “America Built to last” with his 2012 State of the Union speech Tuesday night.
The president’s speech started out honoring the troops that recently came home from Iraq, and then shifted into addressing the bipartisan issues of Congress, income inequality in the U.S. and creating more economic fairness in the U.S. tax code.
Throughout his State of the Union address, it was evident that the president was addressing a lot of the criticism that has been thrown at him by Republican presidential candidates and members of Congress in recent weeks. He also used the speech to increase his push for tax reforms, at one point stating that members of Congress and the president himself should pay higher taxes.
Mr. Obama also addressed some of the guests that were sitting with his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, which included astronaut and husband of retired Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly among others.
The president referenced “class warfare,” several times Tuesday night, a likely reply to the common critique that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has accused him of throughout the Republican primary race. Mr. Romney has consistently accused the president of professing “class warfare” by calling for an increase on taxes of wealthier Americans.
After a year in 2011 that included several near government shutdowns, high unemployment rates across the nation, and an end of the year showdown with Congress, the president’s State of the Union speech pointed out the positives that have come about over the past three years of his presidency.
“Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005. American manufacturers are hiring again, creating jobs for the first time since the late 1990s,”said Mr. Obama. ”Together, we’ve agreed to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion. And we’ve put in place new rules to hold Wall Street accountable, so a crisis like this never happens again.”
The State of the Union was really the president’s last chance to address both chambers of Congress before his re-election process becomes just as important as his job of running the country.
The speech featured many references to fairness and responsibility and the middle class. Mr. Obama described how he is working with U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to expand investigations into abusive lending by financial institutions that have been accused of risky lending.
“An America built to last” seems to be the president’s new campaign theme as well, as it is now posted prominently on the home page of his website.
The theme of establishing an America that is “built to last” was woven throughout the president’s State of the Union address as he spoke of restoring the U.S. economy by creating more manufacturing jobs and creating more opportunities for small businesses.
He spoke of a recent conversation that he had with the CEO of Master Lock, who told him the business climate in the U.S. is getting better and allowing him to create more jobs.
Mr. Obama also announced the creation of a new “Trade Unit” that will focus on investigating unfair trading practices in China.
“There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders,” said Mr. Obama. ”And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing financing or new markets like Russia. Our workers are the most productive on Earth, and if the playing field is level, I promise you -– America will always win.”
The State of the Union speech also addressed what the president considers to be a major problem for American businesses, the corporate tax rate. He said that companies who move jobs overseas should no longer receive tax breaks, and that American businesses should start being rewarded, stating that he would sign “tax reforms” from Congress “right away.”
