A Student's Guide to Understanding the State of the Union
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
As millions of Americans tuned January 25, President Obama put forth his plans for the coming year. For the most part, his speech was received positively. But his proposals—everything from investing in clean energy to reorganizing the federal government—still raise questions. For all his eloquence, Obama described his plans broadly and optimistically. The truth is that Obama’s ideas will be edited and re-edited into something less fantastic--and more realistic. Here’s a translation of his State of the Union Address.
On Green Technology and the Environment
What Obama Said: “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.”
What It Means: Obama seems to think that this is the time to dive full-force into green technology, and he set forth an ambitious goal: to have 80% of America’s electricity come from clean energy sources (wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal, & natural gas) by 2035. The government would reduce the amount of money it gives to big oil, and instead “invest” money in clean energy technology. The proposal will run into problems with both Democrats and Republicans, though—Dems will oppose the construction of new nuclear power plants, and Republicans will say that “investing” is really just another word for spending, which, they say, won’t help the federal deficit. Oil executives will also be crying—about the loss of government subsidies. Expect some money to go into cleaner energy technology, but not as much as Obama suggested.
On Health Care
What Obama Said: “ What I’m not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a preexisting condition.”
What It Means: Obama is willing to have another look at the health care legislation that passed last year and revise parts of it. But that’s where he’ll draw the line. His statement was a veiled message to Republicans who just last week, under the direction of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), voted to repeal the legislation. The vote was merely symbolic; with a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House, don’t expect the health care to actually be repealed. But the issue is far from resolved; expect revisions—and plenty of partisan bickering—to continue this year, too.
On Infrastructure
What Obama Said: “We’ll put more Americans to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges. We will make sure this is fully paid for, attract private investment, and pick projects based on what’s best for the economy, not politicians.”
What It Means: This is something Obama’s been trying to get for a while—a public works program that, he believes, will increase our nation’s economic competitiveness, connect everyone to the “Digital Age,” and create new jobs, especially for the “hard-hit construction industry.” Yet again, he set forth an ambitious goal: to give 80% of American access to high-speed rail within 25 years. But many politicians, mostly Republicans, aren’t keen on spending more money with the federal deficit so high. And even if the money is there, deciding which projects should be granted money is always a hot issue. Since this is something that Obama’s been touting for at least a year—he brought it up at last year’s Address as well—it may finally be put into legislation and pushed through Congress, but it’ll be toned down.
On Education
What Obama Said: “If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child—become a teacher. Your country needs you.”
What It Means: Education reform. Plain and simple. The No Child Left Behind Act, the Bush administration’s attempt at education reform, is set to expire this year. Obama wants to replace it with more “flexible” legislation—something similar to Race to the Top, the initiative that offered money to states that submitted the best proposals for education reform. Race to the Top has actually been popular amongst Republicans and Democrats alike, so his plans for education reform could be made into legislation and signed into law. His proposal also included another goal: to train 100,000 new teachers. Despite education reform’s popularity, I still wouldn’t expect an easy battle—the two parties are sure to disagree on the status of students born in America to illegal immigrant parents. The more progressive parts of his plan will probably go, but education reform still looks good for this year.
What Obama Said: “This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.”
What It Means: Obama seems to think that this is the time to dive full-force into green technology, and he set forth an ambitious goal: to have 80% of America’s electricity come from clean energy sources (wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal, & natural gas) by 2035. The government would reduce the amount of money it gives to big oil, and instead “invest” money in clean energy technology. The proposal will run into problems with both Democrats and Republicans, though—Dems will oppose the construction of new nuclear power plants, and Republicans will say that “investing” is really just another word for spending, which, they say, won’t help the federal deficit. Oil executives will also be crying—about the loss of government subsidies. Expect some money to go into cleaner energy technology, but not as much as Obama suggested.
On Health Care
What Obama Said: “ What I’m not willing to do is go back to the days when insurance companies could deny someone coverage because of a preexisting condition.”
What It Means: Obama is willing to have another look at the health care legislation that passed last year and revise parts of it. But that’s where he’ll draw the line. His statement was a veiled message to Republicans who just last week, under the direction of House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), voted to repeal the legislation. The vote was merely symbolic; with a Democratic-controlled Senate and White House, don’t expect the health care to actually be repealed. But the issue is far from resolved; expect revisions—and plenty of partisan bickering—to continue this year, too.
On Infrastructure
What Obama Said: “We’ll put more Americans to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges. We will make sure this is fully paid for, attract private investment, and pick projects based on what’s best for the economy, not politicians.”
What It Means: This is something Obama’s been trying to get for a while—a public works program that, he believes, will increase our nation’s economic competitiveness, connect everyone to the “Digital Age,” and create new jobs, especially for the “hard-hit construction industry.” Yet again, he set forth an ambitious goal: to give 80% of American access to high-speed rail within 25 years. But many politicians, mostly Republicans, aren’t keen on spending more money with the federal deficit so high. And even if the money is there, deciding which projects should be granted money is always a hot issue. Since this is something that Obama’s been touting for at least a year—he brought it up at last year’s Address as well—it may finally be put into legislation and pushed through Congress, but it’ll be toned down.
On Education
What Obama Said: “If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child—become a teacher. Your country needs you.”
What It Means: Education reform. Plain and simple. The No Child Left Behind Act, the Bush administration’s attempt at education reform, is set to expire this year. Obama wants to replace it with more “flexible” legislation—something similar to Race to the Top, the initiative that offered money to states that submitted the best proposals for education reform. Race to the Top has actually been popular amongst Republicans and Democrats alike, so his plans for education reform could be made into legislation and signed into law. His proposal also included another goal: to train 100,000 new teachers. Despite education reform’s popularity, I still wouldn’t expect an easy battle—the two parties are sure to disagree on the status of students born in America to illegal immigrant parents. The more progressive parts of his plan will probably go, but education reform still looks good for this year.
More by this Author
Featured Articles
