On January 28, President Obama stood in the House Chamber before a joint session of Congress, esteemed guests, and the rest of America watching from home, to deliver his State of the Union Address. In his speech, he discussed his agenda to tackle major issues such as equal pay for men and women, immigration reform, healthcare, raising the minimum wage, and education.
Obama said in his address, “Nobody who works full time and works hard at their job should live in poverty.” His solution to this problem is to raise the minimum wage for all workers to $10.10. By executive order, he has raised the minimum wage for federal contract employees from $7.25 to $10.10, but this wage hike does not affect existing contracts. Instead, this order will take effect in 2015; contracts signed from that year onward will reap the benefits. Executive order, however, does not permit Obama to raise the wage for all workers; he needs Congress’ approval.
Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) responded to Obama’s bold move: “I think it’s a constitutional violation. We have a minimum wage. Congress has set it. For the president to simply
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declare ‘I’m going to change this law that Congress has passed,’ is unconstitutional. He’s outside the bounds of his Article II limitations.” White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett maintains that it was in the president’s control to give that executive order.
According to a poll conducted by Pew Research Center, 73% of Americans support the minimum wage raise, but critics do believe that raising the minimum wage would discourage businesses from hiring more workers. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office suggests that increasing the minimum wage would cost low-wage workers their jobs, which would have an adverse effect since Obama is constantly exploring ways to spur job growth.
Improving America’s educational system is one of the ways in which Obama intends to equip children with necessary skills to succeed in the ever-changing economy.
Obama reiterated his request to Congress to make high quality pre-K available to every child by enacting an initiative that would help states expand their pre-K programs and improve the quality of existing programs. Explaining his plan of action, Obama said, “as Congress decides what it’s going to do, I’m going to pull together a coalition of elected officials, business leaders, and philanthropists willing to help more kids access the high-quality pre-K they need.”
In his 2013 State of the Union address, Obama pledged to connect more students to high-speed internet with the goal of providing them access to digital learning opportunities. Fast enough internet access would help schools increase their ability to track student data online. Initially, Obama sought to fund the program by expanding the Federal Communication Commission’s E-Rate Program, an initiative that began in 1996 to support technology improvements in schools and libraries, particularly those in disadvantaged communities, at an additional cost of $5 a year on home phone bills. However, with the help of the Federal Communication Commission, Apple, Sprint, Microsoft, and Verizon, over the next 2 years, 15,000 schools and over 20 million students will be connected to high speed internet without increasing the deficit or relying on the need for funding from the E-Rate Program.
First mentioned in his 2013 State of the Union address was a program called Youth Career Connect. This competition held for high schools requires these schools to partner with colleges and employers that provide real world education and hands on training that can lead to a job and career. Last year, Obama remarked, “We’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math – the skills today’s employers are looking for to fill jobs right now and in the future.” The winners will be announced this year.
The only new proposal concerning education that Obama addressed during his speech this is to reform student loans by offering millions the opportunity to cap their student loan debt to 10% of their income.
With the tasks of revamping our educational system and improving the standard of living for all Americans, Obama remains hopeful; he closed his address with these words: “The America we want for our kids – a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will take us – none of it is easy. But if we work together, if we summon what is best in us, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow – I know it’s within our reach.”
Watch the 2014 State of the Union Address: