On Tuesday, January 28, President Barack Obama presented the 2014 State of the Union address, outlining the accomplishments and goals of the government.
The president pointed towards the state of education in the U.S. from childcare to college. Obama said that a number of American states have already created programs to fund childcare because they cannot wait. He pointed towards the broad technology changes implement in schools.
"Tonight, I can announce that with the support of the FCC and companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sprint, and Verizon, we've got a down payment to start connecting more than 15,000 schools and twenty million students over the next two years, without adding a dime to the deficit," said Obama.
One of the programs that Obama announced was the College Opportunity Summit, which creates over 100 new commitments to offer low-income students financial opportunities to go for higher education.
Obama also took the opportunity to talk about Obamacare and called on people to get their friends and family to sign up for health care system by March 31.
Usually, the State of the Union is meant to speak on domestic matters but Obama also took spoke about the rising tensions due to Iran's nuclear program. He highlighted that it is American diplomacy, backed by pressure, which has halted Iran's nuclear program.
Obama proposed to raise minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $10.10 hour. He said that he will issue an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair and minimum wage of $10.10 an hour "because if you cook our troops' meals or wash their dishes, you shouldn't have to live in poverty."
Obama also highlighted the pay difference between men and women and called it an "embarassment" and said that "today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong."
The President of the U.S. also called for reforms in the country's immigration system. He said that when people come to the U.S. to study, invent and contribute to the culture, they make the country a more attractive place for businesses and create jobs. He pointed out that immigration reforms will reduce the deficit by $1 trillion.
Obama also pledged to focus more on developing technology by partnering businesses to research universities. He said that the Obama administration has already launched two hubs for high-tech manufacturing in Raleigh and Youngstown, which has connected businesses to research universities. Obama announced that he will launch six more hubs in 2014.
Obama made it clear that he would work with Congress where he could, but would make a move without them if necessary.
"Wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do," said Obama.
Visit the official Whitehouse website to read the full State of the Union address.
