President Obama gave his penultimate State of the Union address to Congress earlier this month. Highlighting his plan for “middle-class economics,” Obama focused his narrative around the Erler family and outlined policies that would positively affect the average middle-class family.
While many commented that this was Obama’s most energized State of the Union since the early-Obama years, pundits agreed that much of the President’s policy initiatives and requests are unlikely to move forward in a Republican-controlled Congress. Not surprisingly, most of the President’s speech received strong support from the Democratic side of the chamber. However, the tables turned when most Republicans and only a handful of the Democrats, stood in support for Obama’s comments on trade liberalization.
Read the full transcript of the speech.
Freshman Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa delivered the Republican Response following the President’s address. Although referred to as a “response,” the speech Ernst gave instead highlighted the Republican’s agenda for the coming year. Watch the video below.