State of the Union Breakdown

Last nights State of the Unions address given to the joint session of Congress has many analysts talking about what Mr. President did and did not do-


After months of sharp criticism and heated conversations about The Healthcare Bill and his promise of job creation- his address last night was to get Americans to "regroup" and to think about core issues.  At times during the speech, it almost seemed as if President Obama was begging us to please try and get along while insuring us that we are "getting through the storm."  




If you missed it last night, these following items were mentioned by the President as potential policy changes, legislative initiatives, or goals coming out of the address:
 Job creation

.Giving rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy-efficient

.Slash tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas

Energy Efficiency

.Encourage American innovation (focus on clean energy)

.Building nuclear power plants

.Exploring off-shore areas for oil and gas

.Investment in advance biofuels and clean coal technologies

.Comprehensive energy and climate bill to make clean energy profitable

.More exports of goods (goal: double exports in 5 years)

.Launch of a National Export Initiative

Skills & Education 

Renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

.Revitalize community colleges

.Ending taxpayer subsidies to banks for student loans

.$10,000 tax credit for families for four years of college

.Increase Pell Grants

.Only 10% of income to student loans

.Student loan debt forgiven after 20 yrs,10 yrs if they choose public service

.Cost cutting at colleges and universities

Tax credit

.Giving access to a retirement account for every worker

.Expanding the tax credit for those who start a nest egg (retirement fund)

.Refinancing to make more mortgages affordable

Health care reform

.Deficit reduction

.Tackling childhood obesity Starting in 2011

. Freeze government spending for 3 years on discretionary programs

(Excluding national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security)

.Eliminate programs that are unaffordable or don't work 

(giving those breaks to companies that create jobs in the U.S.)

Extend middle-class tax cuts

.Bipartisan fiscal commission to provide solutions

.Restoring pay-as-you-go law

.Fees on the country's largest banks 

.Giving $30 billion of recovered TARP $ to community banks to extend

credit to small businesses

Capital Hill 

.Require lobbyists to disclose every contact they make

.Limits on contributions that lobbyists give to candidates

.Reform for earmarks, publish them in a single location on the web

.Crack down on violations of equal pay laws

.Immigration reform

.Repealing Don't ask don't tell policy within the year