State Of the Union

In his annual State of the Union address Tuesday – his second to last of his presidency – President Barack Obama issued several liberal proposals that would be very difficult to pass in the new Republican-led Congress. These programs include a child-care tax credit, free community college, and paid family leave. The president set a divisive tone early in the address. “Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well?” he asked rhetorically. “Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?” Obama reaffirmed his call for a $3,000 child-care tax credit, calling it a “must have.”"It’s time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or a women’s issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us. And that’s why my plan will make quality child-care more available, and more affordable, for every middle-class and low-income family with young children in America — by creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per year." The president also called for universal paid family leave, noting the U.S. is the only advanced country whose government does not provide it to their citizens. “And that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home,” he said. Along the same lines, Obama called for Congress to pass a law that ensures a woman is paid for the same work as a man along with a minimum wage. The president also reiterated his community college program, which he announced earlier this month. He aims to reduce the cost of community college for those who maintain decent grades “to zero.” The address focused on the improved American economic situation.