President Obama discussed raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour in his State of the Union address to help eliminate poverty in America, though this proposal was controversial as some felt unskilled jobs did not warrant that wage. He also proposed simplifying the tax code by removing loopholes and bypassing Congress to pass laws since bills have trouble passing through the divided government. The address covered several policy issues that were expected to generate debate.

1. Christa Navy
FYS
Harold Blanco
State of the Union Address
In the yearly State of the Union Address, it is normal for it to be filled with information
and promises to come. Obama stuck to the status quo and did the same thing. He talked about
raising minimum wage, simplifying the tax code, and by-pass congress when making laws.
One of the most controversial topics he discussed was raising minimum wage to what it
is now, $7.25, to $10.10. The main reason he stated for wanting to do this was to eliminate
poverty in America. I feel as if the nation was split in half with this decision, as some were
completely for it, and others angrily tweeted, “flipping hamburgers isn’t worth $10.10. He also
talked about not allowing federal construction workers to be paid less than $10.10/hr.
Obama also talked of simplifying the tax code. This includes removing loopholes and
hopefully growing the economy. This comes as no surprise, however, as it seems like that is
what every president promises to do, along with “lowering taxes.”
Perhaps the most shocking thing the president discussed was how the congress doesn’t
work well with him. It is almost impossible for any bills to get passed. There are multiple
branches controlled by different parties with different agendas that hinder the process of moving
forward with new laws and bills. He decided that he needed to take consecutive action and that
he would pass the laws he wanted to “with or without congress.”
As you can see, Obama discussed many topics that left the crowd interested and ready for
heated debates on their Facebook walls. While I admit I didn’t get to watch the speech live, I
found it interesting reading up on the many points President Barack Obama presented.