The American president Barrack Obama on the 27th of January 2010 said that the constitution of America required the president to tell congress the information regarding the state of the union. He said that although America may seem to have been destined to succeed there was a time when that was in doubt. This, according to him, has been more apparent due to the changes in the economy following the recession, debt, and almost collapsing financial systems. This led to the loss of jobs, closure of businesses, and decline in home values.
Americans were forced to work harder and longer for lesser pay. He also saw the great need for the democrats and republicans to reconcile their differences and work together to serve the American people.
The never-say-die character and attitude of the Americans even in the face of disaster and the strength to overcome that defines the union. Basically, the bank’s bailout created a deficit in the budget and therefore there is a need to monitor them in the future to ensure economic safety. Although he asks the biggest banks to chip in through a proposed fee that will go a long way to benefit the taxpayers, the bailout increased the number of jobs, allowed for tax cuts, and made health cover cheaper; all these were made possible by the recovery act or the stimulus bill.
Obama said that since the American economy was based on America’s business, there was a need to revive them by creating a conducive environment for their survival. This will lead to an increase in employment opportunities. The time to act is now by reforming the financial sector from the risky decisions they make which put the Americans’ future in line and the financial reform bill would cover that.
He further sought to encourage innovation and clean energy jobs through research and increased production, efficiency, and incentives. Nuclear, fossil, and biofuels should be encouraged through the adoption of the energy and climate bill. Moreover, he emphasized the need to increase exports so as to create more jobs in the country through the launch of the national export initiative and the reformation of the DOHA trade agreement.
Investment in skills and education through positive rewards should be adopted and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, together with other bills that would revitalize college education, would enable this as well as the approach to regulate fees. He also argued that the current health care plan burdened the middle class and thus there was the need to reform it.
Debts were to be controlled by freezing government spending and a bipartisan commission to spearhead the fact-finding on the economic status and solutions. He said laws on who funded the American elections should be amended so that the power to decide on whom to vote for would remain with the Americans.
Employment discrimination together with the remuneration laws should be amended and unity restored through the common goals. He called for the implementation of equal pay regardless of gender to ensure that all families in America are equitably empowered. Additionally, the security of all Americans should be ensured both in and outside the national borders.
In the speech, Obama encouraged unity among the Americans in the fight against terrorism that has been threatening the nation. He revisited the issue of the 9/11 terror attack and the measures taken by the government to invest in homeland security. This is in addition to training security forces in Afghanistan and Iraq so that the countries can stand on their own.