In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Barack Obama highlighted many of his administration’s accomplishments, both economic and otherwise, but did not shy away from calling on Congress to keep the nation moving in the right direction.
The first portion of Obama’s speech was dominated by his praise of what he called “the fastest economic growth in over a decade,” noting there have now been 58 straight months of job growth while the deficit has continued to shrink.
He also cited his Affordable Care Act as a boost to the nation’s economy, providing insurance to more than ten million Americans and saving on costly medical expenses.
Obama also called on the nation to follow the lead of Tennessee and Chicago in making community college free for all high school graduates, creating a more educated workforce for a more sophisticated economy.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., echoed Obama’s sentiment regarding community college in separate statements following the speech.
“The President laid out important initiatives to help hardworking Wisconsinites … improve their lives through education tax credits and more affordable access to community colleges,” Pocan said in the statement.
Though the president discussed the economy at length, he also spoke about the role of the U.S. abroad, defending his administration’s policies of unilateral action against terrorist groups like ISIL.
Regarding his re-evaluation of American-Cuban relations, Obama declared a new age of U.S international policy, tearing down antiquated barriers, both cultural and economic.
Obama was eager to note cooperative efforts with China regarding carbon emissions policies, though he added that trade relations between the nations need improvement.
Global climate change was an important issue for Obama, who said that “denying science” is no longer an option for Americans.
Finally, Obama called a raise in the minimum wage an essential legislative priority of 2015.
