Afghan exit at hand, Obama says
WASHINGTON— In what could prove the most important speech of his political career, U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday night delivered the first state of the union address in his second term, outlining a bold economic and education agenda and announcing troop reductions in Afghanistan.
He said that by the spring, American troops in Afghanistan will move into a support role and by the end of this year he will bring back 34,000 soldiers.
“And by the end of next year our war in Afghanistan will be over,” he said.
He said al-Qaida is “a shadow of its former self” and, with reference to the secret killer drone program, promised that as the U.S. continues to pursue al-Qaida’s remnants it will assure that it is done according to American law and with the maximum of transparency possible.
He called on Congress to prepare legislation that will help the country meet the rising danger of cyber attacks against its infrastructure such as power grids and air traffic control.
Obama also urged Congress to at least bring legislation to restrict military-style weapons and highcapacity magazines to a vote. “If you want to vote no, that’s your choice,” he said. “But these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun.”
In his hour-long speech, he repeated the principal themes of his administration: equality and the strengthening of the middle class as a path to long term economic recovery.
“It is our generation’s task, then, to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth — a rising, thriving middle class,” he said.
“It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country — the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who you love.”
To this end he proposed that congress pass laws that will increase the minimum wage to $9 and create 15 manufacturing innovation institutes across the country that will help the nation to “guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made in America.”
He also proposed legislation to rebuild the country’s infrastructure, help the transition to clean energy and help families renegotiate mortgages and obtain loans to buy their first homes.
On the education front, he seeks laws that will give government grants only to colleges and universities that reduce their tuition while maintaining quality.
He promised to help eradicate poverty in the undeveloped world by connecting poor countries to the international economy. At the same time, he told Congress he intended to negotiate a free-trade agreement with the European Union.
He also announced a non-partisan committee to improve the voting process in American that often disenfranchises hundreds of thousands of voters by making it difficult for them to register to vote and forces them to spend hours in line to cast a ballot. Obama, who’s popularity remains high, appeared confident and relaxed as he delivered a speech highlighted by the occasional rhetorical flourish.
Many Republicans were unhappy with Obama’s economic proposals claiming that they undermined the free enterprise system and will increase the deficit. They supported, however, his immigration initiatives.
Republican Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin said he supported Obama’s called for immigration reform but claimed his economic and tax reforms will be costly.
“What you got was a traditional laundry list from a liberal prospective,” Ryan, the 2012 Republican vicepresidential nominee, told CNN.
Republican senator Marco Rubio gave the official Republican rebuttal. He said Obama’s economic policies show he doesn’t think capitalism works. He also opposed passing any gun legislation that “violates the Second Amendment.” But he did not outline any Republican policies.
Many congressmen surrendered their guest passes to victims of gun violence, including parents of the 20 children killed Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Conn.