When President Barack Obama delivers his second State of the Union address Tuesday to a joint session of Congress , he may find members of Congress are not in their usual seats. That is, if Sens. Mark Udall, D-Colo., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have their way.
Last week, the two senators began circulating a letter urging members of Congress to forego tradition and sit together, not on opposite sides of the aisle, in an effort at solidarity following the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., on Jan. 8. More than 40 members of Congress have signed on.
Obama ran on the promise of reaching across the aisle and ending partisanship in Washington. In his 2010 State of the Union speech, Obama said he wanted “all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to overcome our differences, to overcome the numbing weight of our politics." Obama now has a chance to make good on those campaign promises. But it will take a fight.
Republicans are upset with Obama, particularly on the subject of health care reform. Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Wednesday the House voted to repeal the act.
Health care reform legislation is the jewel in Obama’s crown thus far. He campaigned on getting the legislation passed so all Americans could have affordable health care. After a year, and some debate in Congress, the bill passed. Is it perfect? No, but it has the potential to help millions of Americans.
Health care reform is today’s version of former President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, which provided jobs and government benefits to millions of Americans during the Great Depression. FDR’s initiatives were not widely accepted at the time, like the health care act, but we have grown used to Social Security, Medicare and welfare. These programs have helped people for generations. Who is to say Obama’s health care plan won’t have the same effect on our children and grandchildren?
Health care reform also has the potential to help the struggling economy. This bill has the potential to decrease the budget deficit, which could mean economic improvement. Much like former President John F. Kennedy, Obama took office in the midst of a recession. Kennedy’s remarks in his 1961 State of the Union ring true today. “The present state of our economy is disturbing,” he said. Both Obama and Kennedy faced the daunting task of creating jobs and getting people back to work.
However, the economic circumstances are getting better. The stock market has rebounded and stimulus money has been distributed to fix roads, build schools and create jobs. Jobless claims continue to fall and people are beginning to spend more money on houses and cars. Although the U.S. debt is expected to reach $16 trillion by the end of the decade, the economic situation is improving, thanks to Obama’s fortitude to pass the stimulus act.
Although the issues at home are many, Obama must also address foreign policy, specifically the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While most of the troops have withdrawn from Iraq, nearly 100,000 troops remain in Afghanistan. The U.S. continues to sink time and billions of dollars into the 8-year-old war, and the situation has only improved somewhat. In 2010, Obama promised to have troops out of Afghanistan by this July. But to get Congress, specifically Republicans, to back this idea, Obama must provide a straightforward, realistic plan of action.
Despite Republican opposition, Obama was able to achieve many things during his first year of presidency. Now, with a divided Congress, he must put his campaign rhetoric in action. If ever there was a time for bipartisanship, it is now.
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