Obama defies GOP with reforms
WASHINGTON — Claiming to be “turning the page” on 15 years of war and recession, U.S. President Barack Obama returned Tuesday to his Robin Hood theme of strengthening the middle class with a State of the Union address that outlined tax reforms that would take from the rich and give to everybody else.
“The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong,” he said.
But, he added, most Americans are not reaping the spoils of success. “Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well” he asked.
Republicans quickly condemned his tax reforms as non-starters, even demanding that Obama approve the Keystone XL pipeline as a sign that he is serious about job creation.
Obama’s address was broad in scope and defiant in tone. As it touched on a huge array of domestic and foreign issues including race, torture, terrorism, climate change, cyber-security, sexual equality and the economy, it challenged lawmakers either to accept his vision or pay the consequences of his veto.
He warned that if congress tries to destroy Obama-Care, unravel restrictions on Wall Street or approve mass deportations of illegal immigrants, “it will earn my veto.”
Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, described his speech as powerful. Yet it outlined a legislative agenda already rejected by the GOP. It was, in a sense, the bold but powerless speaking to the powerful and unsympathetic.
In light of the recent North Korean hacking of Sony emails, Obama also urged Congress to pass legislation “to better meet the evolving threat of cyber-attacks, combat identity theft and protect our children’s information.”
“No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families,” he said.
Obama’s speech came on the same day as rebels invaded the capital of Yemen, a key U.S. ally in the fight against al-Qaida. As the rebels threatened the U.S. embassy, Obama called on Congress to pass a “use of force” resolution that would broaden his powers to expand the war against Islamic State, also known as ISIL or ISIS.
He said that while an American-led coalition is “stopping ISIL’s advance,” the ultimate destruction of ISIL will take time.
“And tonight, I call on this Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL,” he said during his address Tuesday.