- 2015 State of the Union « Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage for the 2015 State of the Union
Press
Release
from
Speaker
John
Boehner December 19, 2015 State of the Union 2015WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) today sent a letter to President Obama formally inviting him to fulfill his duty under the Constitution to report to Congress on the state of the union. A Joint Session of Congress will be held to receive the president’s address on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 9:00 pm ET. The full text of the letter is below. Read a signed copy here. December 19, 2014 The President Dear Mr. President: The new year will bring a new American Congress, and with it, the opportunity to continue our work to build a stronger economy and secure a better future for our country. In that spirit, it is my honor to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 so that you may fulfill your duty under the Constitution to report on the state of the union and recommend measures for our consideration. Your report will inform our efforts to address the people’s priorities. I look forward to your response, and Merry Christmas. Sincerely, John A. Boehner |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 19, 2015 White House Announces Guests in First Lady's Box -- State of the Union AddressWASHINGTON, DC – The following individuals will be seated in the box with the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden and Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, at the State of the Union Address on Tuesday. Information about these guests and news about the State of the Union is available at WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU.
Malik
Bryant (Chicago, IL)
Chelsey
Davis (Knoxville, TN)
William
Elder, Jr. (Englewood, CO)
LeDaya
Epps (Compton, CA) Rebekah Erler (Minneapolis, MN) Letter Writer Rebekah Erler, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a 36-year-old working wife and mother of two preschool-aged boys. Rebekah’s family was hit hard by the downturn in the housing market when her husband’s construction business went under. After relocating from Seattle to Minneapolis and a number of difficult jobs, Rebekah’s husband is now back in the re-modeling industry, gets home in time for dinner each night with their family, and is enjoying continued professional growth. Rebekah took out student loans to go to a local community college for career re-training and is now back in the workforce as an accountant. Rebekah and her husband recently bought their firsthome. Rebekah told her story to the President in March when she sent him a letter. But, Rebekah’s letter was more about her family’s future than it was about her past and the struggles they’ve overcome. Rebekah detailed the rising cost – from groceries to student loan payments to child care – of doing right by your family. Rebekah’s story is representative of the experiences of millions of resilient Americans: While our economy has made a strong comeback, too many middle class Americans families with two hardworking parents are still stretched too thin. That’s why the President spent a day in Minnesota with Rebekah, and that’s why he’s chosen to lift up her story again. Victor
Fugate (Kansas City, MO)
Staff
Sergeant Jason Gibson, U.S. Army, Ret. (Westerville, OH)
Alan
and Judy Gross (Washington, DC)
Nicole
Hernandez Hammer (Southeast Florida)
Scott
Kelly (Houston, TX)
Anthony
Mendez (Bronx, NY)
Larry
J. Merlo (East Greenwich, RI)
Katrice
Mubiru (Woodland Heights, CA)
Astrid
Muhammad (Charlotte, NC) Kathy
Pham (Washington, DC)
Captain
Phillip C. Tingirides (Irvine, CA)
Catherine
Pugh (Baltimore City, MD)
Carolyn
Reed (Denver, CO)
Dr.
Pranav Shetty (Washington, DC)
Prophet
Walker (Carson, CA)
Tiairris
Woodward (Warren, MI)
Ana
Zamora (Dallas, TX)
### |
www.whitehouse.gov/sotu |
POLITICAL PARTIES
Republican
National
CommitteeJan. 13, 2015
Memo: SOTU Expectations
FROM: RNC Press Secretary Kirsten Kukowski (@kakukowski)
TO: Interested Parties
RE: SOTU Expectations
Next week, President Obama will deliver his State of the Union. Every year, he seems to recycle the same discredited ideas and empty rhetoric. We doubt this year will be much different, but here are three things we expect to see from the President:
1. He will praise bipartisanship in theory, while rejecting it in practice.
We’ve all heard the heady rhetoric before—starting with the President’s 2008 campaign. Unfortunately, he has run a highly partisan administration.
The latest example: on the week the new Congress was sworn in, the first thing the president did was issue veto threats for bipartisan legislation that would create jobs and increase take-home pay. One bill is to build the Keystone Pipeline. The other is to restore the 40-hour workweek. (Thanks to ObamaCare, many Americans have seen their hours—and thus their paychecks—slashed.)
The President’s calls for bipartisanship would be believable if he would seize at least one of the two actual opportunities for bipartisanship right in front him.
2. He will tell struggling Americans that the economy is great.
Democrats are falling over themselves to say the economy is great. The DNC has gone so far as to say Americans who are concerned about persistent unemployment are “delusional.”
We’re glad to see modest job creation, but the truth is 17 million Americans are unemployed, are underemployed, or have given up on looking for work.
The percentage of Americans in the labor force—those who have jobs or want jobs—is at the lowest level since the middle of Jimmy Carter’s presidency. That’s alarming. On top of that, the latest jobs report shows earnings are stagnant.
Democrats are happy to tell the media that the economy’s doing well. But what do they say to moms and dads who have been out of work for months—especially those who lost their jobs in ObamaCare-related layoffs or those who could go back to work if the Keystone pipeline were built?
3. He will play small ball.
Because the President refuses to work with Congress and insists on doing unpopular things, he will tout executive actions—even those of dubious constitutionality. Instead of laying out big ideas for eliminating the deficit or preserving Medicare or expanding school choice—as Republicans have done year after year—he’ll talk about things that make for good photo-ops and not much else.
Consider his latest proposal about “free” college. He simply wants to federalize a state program started in Tennessee, which will make the program more inefficient, more bureaucratic, and inevitably more expensive to taxpayers—to the tune of at least $60 billion in just one decade. If Tennessee has a good thing going on, other states are free to follow suit. That’s the beauty of our system! Why would we want the federal government to come in and mess it all up?
In short, we don’t have high expectations for the State of the Union—just another laundry list of empty promises. But regardless, Republicans in Congress will continue to legislate on the issues that the American people care about.
January 15, 2015
Today the GOP announced that Iowa Senator Joni Ernst will deliver their reaction to the President’s State of the Union address next week. Of course they did. She fits perfectly into the GOP’s ideology of putting special interests and the wealthy ahead of middle class American families.
Instead of supporting policies that will benefit working families, Joni Ernst, like the Republican Party as a whole, chooses time and time again to stand with big corporations or those special interests that helped get her elected. Just look at Ernst’s record:
· Ernst would protect tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas, while Democrats in Congress want to get rid of special loopholes and maneuvers that allow corporations to avoid paying their fair share.
· Ernst has supported the Paul Ryan budget which would have cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations and extended the Bush tax cuts for those at the top. Meanwhile Democrats have and will continue to cut taxes for middle class families.
· Ernst would cut Pell Grants and privatize student loans to help the bottom line of banks and lenders but not students. On the other hand, President Obama has laid out a plan to provide 2-years of community college for free, to any student who will work for it.
· Ernst refuses to stand up and support a women’s right to equal pay or empower workers with the tools they need to fight wage discrimination by corporations. Conversely, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Democrats continue to work to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
· Ernst would eliminate the federal minimum wage altogether, keeping the minimum wage in her home state of Iowa at seven dollars and twenty five cents per hour – just $15,000 a year for a full time worker to live on. Instead, President Obama and Democrats continue to support an increased minimum wage that will expand opportunity for more families.
So while many may be surprised by today’s announcement of Joni Ernst delivering the GOP response to the President’s State of the Union, we’re not, just look at her record and positions
The Green Party
GP ADVISORY People's State of the Union: Green Party Livestream show with Green commentary, Jan. 20
For Immediate Release:Wednesday, January 14, 2015
This release is online at http://www.gp.org/newsroom/
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-904-7614, mclarty@greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene@gp.org
The People's State of the Union: The Green Party will host a Livestream broadcast of President Obama's 2015 State of the Union address with Green guest commentary, Tuesday, Jan. 20
• Viewers can participate in the chat and phone in questions during the broadcast
• When: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 9:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm PT
• Where: http://www.livestream.com/
• Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Green Party of the United States invites members and the public to tune into "The People's State of the Union" and participate in an online chat during President Obama's 2015 State of the Union speech on Tuesday, January 20, on the Green Party's Livestream channel (http://www.livestream.com/
The State of the Union, which begins at 9:00 pm ET, will be aired on the Livestream page. A chat box will for discussion will be on the screen next to the live State of the Union video. After the President's speech, Jill Stein, the Green Party's 2012 presidential nominee, will interview guests about the State of the Union. Following this segment, viewers may continue the informal discussion in the chat box.
Among the guests on hand to comment on the President's speech:
• Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK (http://www.codepink.org)
• Margaret Flowers, Single-Payer health care advocate, Popular Resistance (https://www.
• Howie Hawkins, 2014 Green candidate for Governor of New York (http://www.howiehawkins.org)
• Cheri Honkala, 2012 Green vice-presidential nominee, co-founder of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (http://economichumanrights.
• Immortal Technique, Peruvian-born Hip Hop artist, advocate for human rights, social justice, and immigrants' rights (http://www.viperrecords.com/
• Shamako Noble, Hip Hop Congress (http://hiphopcongress.com), US Social Forum organizer
• Jill Stein (facilitator), 2012 Green presidential nominee and co-founder of the Green Shadow Cabinet (http://greenshadowcabinet.us)
The organizations listed above are for identification purposes only. More guests will be announced soon.
Viewers are encouraged to contribute questions for the guests. The guests will be on the Livestream broadcast via remote webcam on Google Hangout.
Producer and Host: Jill Stein
Producer and Studio Director: Craig Seeman
Producer and Hangout Director: Starlene Rankin
Tweeter: Scott McLarty (follow @GreenPartyUS)
INTEREST GROUPS
AFL-CIOWhat Workers Want to Hear from President Obama’s State of the Union Address
(Washington, DC January 16) – Leading up to President Obama’s State of the Union Address, the AFL-CIO is releasing a unique, creative preview highlighting the issues America’s workers will be listening for. Through video and audio platforms, the AFL-CIO and workers in their own voices have clear messages for the President and are engaging the broader public.WORKER VIDEO MESSAGE: http://youtu.be/jHAPREwu8tU
In this new video, workers talk about the issues they most want to hear the President address. In their own unscripted voices, these workers highlight issues including trade, immigration, collective bargaining, social security and more.
“I would like to be assured that Fast-Track will not be the means by which any trade agreement is reached,” says Marcos Velez, a member of USW 13-227. “Everyone has the right to collective bargaining,” AFSCME 1427 member Lisa James-Henson tells the President. “Wages, Mr. President, that is a big subject in my home,” she continues.
PRESIDENT TRUMKA AUDIO MESSAGE: https://soundcloud.com/afl-cio/sotu2015
AFL-CIO President Trumka delivers a clear message on what working people will be listening for. While highlighting many of the President’s success this past year, Trumka also underscores the challenges working people still face and the work needed to be done.
“President Obama has accomplished a lot this past year,” Trumka says. “But that’s not enough… After all, while President Obama is hard at work preparing his biggest speech of the year, most families are hard at work stretching their budgets to make ends meet…Working people want to hear not only what he thinks about raising wages, but what he’ll do about it. That is the ultimate standard of accountability.”
Contact: Josh Goldstein
The American Institute of Architects
Ahead of State of the Union, Architects Issue 2015 Legislative Agenda Emphasizing Jobs, Resiliency, Design Excellence and Historic Preservation
Contact: John SchneidawindFor immediate release:
Washington, D.C. – January 16, 2015 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today announced a legislative agenda for the 114th Congress that sets a path for increasing construction activity, creating jobs, preserving the nation’s heritage and ensuring that new generations of architects design a resilient future for America.
“We have an ambitious legislative agenda, and we will work hard to aggressively move it forward,” said AIA President Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA. “Working together, the 85,000 members of the AIA have proven to be a powerful catalyst for passing legislation on Capitol Hill that not only increases economic activity but also enhances the common good.”
“As the President prepares to address a joint session of Congress and the nation in his 2015 State of the Union address, these items serve as a bipartisan blueprint for ending Congressional gridlock and getting things done,” Chu Richter said.
The agenda includes the following:
RESILIENCE
Advance policies that help communities prepare for and respond to the challenges they face.
∙ Support legislation to spur states to adopt better building codes
∙ Enact national Good Samaritan legislation
∙ Promote resiliency planning in communities
CONTINUED ECONOMIC GROWTH
The AIA supports laws and regulations that help design and construction firms create jobs.
∙ Make sure that the federal marketplace is open to firms of all sizes
∙ Advance policies that help small businesses grow and create jobs
∙ Ensure the tax code treats all firms fairly
∙ Help the profession become more globally competitive
DESIGN
The AIA supports policies that promote good design.
∙ Support federal 2030 targets and pass consensus energy efficiency legislation
∙ Restore the 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Tax Deduction
∙ Protect and enhance the historic preservation tax credit
∙ Create a national infrastructure bank and restore Build America Bonds
∙ Enhance the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
∙ Promote design excellence across all federal agencies
THE FUTURE
The AIA supports policies that invest in the next generation of architects and the profession.
∙ Pass the National Design Services Act, which lets architecture school graduates work off student debt with community service
∙ Foster a regulatory environment that enables architecture firms to invest in research and workforce development
∙ Support pro bono and community work in underserved areas
About the American Institute of Architects
Founded in 1857, the American Institute of Architects consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through nearly 300 state and local chapters, the AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public well-being. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards. The AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders, and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit www.aia.org.
Family Research Council
January 19, 2015
FRC's Tony Perkins: 'State of Our Union Only As Strong as State of Our Family'
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Tonight, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins delivered an address on the "State of the Family." In a first-of-its-kind "State of the Family" report to the nation, the speech highlighted key issues of concern and policy solutions in the areas of the protection of human life, marriage, and religious liberty.The following is an excerpt of Mr. Perkins' "State of the Family" address:
"Tomorrow night President Barack Obama will speak to Congress in the annual State of the Union Address. While this traditional speech focuses on the year past as well as the President's proposals for the coming year, it's fitting that we also use this occasion to discuss topics that are perennial and even a few that are eternal.
"When someone we love is in trouble, we do all we can to help. That's true for families and for good friends. And tonight, it's true for our country. The state of our union is only as strong as the state of our family. So this evening, I want to address the state of faith, family, and freedom in America. These are issues of great importance, as their impact goes beyond today's economy or the next election. They will determine our future and our children's future.
"The issue that weighs especially on my heart tonight is that of religious liberty—the freedom that every American has been endowed with by our Creator—to acknowledge the divine Author of our liberties and to live in accordance with His precepts, as we understand them. Tonight, in the United States of America, the consensus about religious liberty that we have long enjoyed is being chipped away at with each rap of the gavel of an activist judge or human rights tribunal. In the examples that follow, and in the people you will meet tonight, that growing indifference and even hostility toward religion, at the hands of our own government and the pain it is inflicting, will be obvious.
"But let me make one thing plain at the outset. While we must truthfully acknowledge and address the problems facing our nation, we must still celebrate the vast blessings that arise from our freedoms and the ability we maintain to preserve those blessings not only for this generation but for those generations yet to come," Perkins stated.
The full text of the speech can be found here: frc.org/sotf2015
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2015
CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, (866) FRC-NEWS or (866)-372-6397
Family Research Council's Tony Perkins to Deliver 'State of the Family' Address
Four Families Targeted by the Government for their Faith to Attend
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Monday, January 19, at 7:00 p.m., Family Research Council President Tony Perkins will deliver an address on the "State of the Family." In a first-of-its-kind "State of the Family" report to the nation, the speech will highlight key issues of concern and policy solutions in the areas of the protection of human life, marriage, and religious liberty.
The speech will be given at FRC's headquarters one day before President Obama delivers his annual State of the Union address. In attendance will be families who have been wrongly harmed by the government's overreach, like Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Hahn family, Thomas and Victoria Miller, and the Bracy family.
"The state of our union depends on the state of the family," said FRC President Tony Perkins. "Monday evening will be an opportunity to focus leaders' attention on issues the new Congress should be addressing but may or may not want to discuss.
"It's time for the GOP to steer the nation back to the timeless truth that strong families make a stronger America," concluded Perkins.
WHO: Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
Aaron and Melissa Klein, former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa
Barth and Abbie Bracy, Connecticut family forced to pay for abortion coverage
Anthony and Carolyn Hahn, CEO of Conestoga Wood Specialties
Thomas and Victoria Miller, owners of W.W. Bridal Boutique
WHAT: State of the Family Address
WHERE: FRC Headquarters
801 G Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. ET
Webcast: www.frc.org/stateofthefamily
To register for media credentials, please contact the FRC Press office at media@frc.org or call 866-FRC-NEWS.
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U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
U.S. Chamber Calls for Policies that Create Jobs, Enable Economic Growth
“In 2015, we are asking the nation’s leaders to rally around a common bipartisan cause—and that cause is stronger and deeper economic growth in order to create jobs and expand opportunities for all Americans,” Donohue said. “This is no time to be complacent. We’ve had a few good quarters of economic growth. But we’re not out of the woods. That’s why our elected leaders, divided as they may be, must work together to put jobs, growth, and opportunity first.”
Donohue revealed a growth agenda that will capitalize on our nation’s potential in trade, energy, technology and infrastructure, as well as a government reform agenda that eases uncertainty and supports growth by improving our immigration system, the regulatory process, the tax code, entitlement programs, the legal system, and our public schools.
To ensure the long-term success of our nation’s economy, Donohue said that in 2015 the Chamber will be dedicated to protecting the fundamental American rights of free speech, due process, and participation in free enterprise. He shared that real economic populism lies not with the unbridled growth of the central government and a state-run economy, but with the America system of free enterprise.
“Whether they reside on Main Street or even on Wall Street, businesses are not the enemy. They are a big part of the solution to the challenges we face as a nation and a people,” Donohue said. “American free enterprise is the economic populism we need and must support. It has built the most successful economy in history and built it from the bottom up. We must reject trickle-down government and support, expand, and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and make sure it thrives—not just in business but in every field of endeavor in our society.”
To view Donohue’s speech visit: https://www.uschamber.com/event/state-american-business-2015
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.