But the most important moments right now aren't happening here. They're not in the Oval Office or in the House Chamber. They're in your homes.
After all, 'We the People' have been the foundation of America since her earliest days--people from all walks of life, and from all corners of the world--people who come to America because here, no challenge is too great and no dream too big. That's the genius of America.
They told us all the problems. But when we looked at our son, we saw only possibilities. We saw a gift from God.
Today we see a 6-year old boy who dances to Bruce Springsteen; who reads above grade level; and who is the best big brother in the world. We see all the things he can do, not those he can't.
Cole, and his sisters, Grace and Brynn, have only made me more determined to see the potential in every human life--that whether we are born with an extra 21st chromosome or without a dollar to our name--we are not defined by our limits, but by our potential.
But the most important moments right now aren't happening here. They're not in the Oval Office or in the House Chamber. They're in your homes.
After all, 'We the People' have been the foundation of America since her earliest days--people from all walks of life, and from all corners of the world--people who come to America because here, no challenge is too great and no dream too big. That's the genius of America.
Because a job is so much more than just a paycheck. It gives us purpose, dignity, and the foundation to build a future.
No, we shouldn't go back to the way things were, but this law is not working. Republicans believe health care choices should be yours, not the government's.
And that whether you're a boy with Down syndrome or a woman with breast cancer, you can find coverage and a doctor who will treat you. So we hope the President will join us in a year of real action--by empowering people--not making their lives harder with unprecedented spending, higher taxes, and fewer jobs.
As Republicans, we advance these plans every day because we believe in a government that trusts people and doesn't limit where you finish because of where you started.
So tonight I'd like to share a more hopeful, Republican vision. One that empowers you, not the government. It's one that champions free markets--and trusts people to make their own decisions, not a government that decides for you. It helps working families rise above the limits of poverty and protects our most vulnerable. And it's one where Washington plays by the same rules that you do. It's a vision that is fair and offers the promise of a better future for every American.
So tonight I'd like to share a more hopeful, Republican vision. One that empowers you, not the government. It's one that champions free markets--and trusts people to make their own decisions, not a government that decides for you. It helps working families rise above the limits of poverty and protects our most vulnerable. And it's one where Washington plays by the same rules that you do. It's a vision that is fair and offers the promise of a better future for every American.
The president talks a lot about income inequality. But the real gap we face today is one of opportunity inequality. And with this administration's policies, that gap has become far too wide.
We see this gap growing every single day. We see it in our neighbors who are struggling to find jobs. Last month, more Americans stopped looking for a job than found one. Too many people are falling further behind because the president's policies are making people's lives harder.
Republicans have plans to close the gap. Plans that focus on jobs first without more spending, government bailouts, and red tape. Every day, we're working to expand our economy, one manufacturing job, nursing degree and small business at a time
FactCheck: It's certainly been a good stretch. But the party may be over.
The US energy sector's carbon dioxide emissions actually ticked up 2% last year, the country's first annual increase in three years, according to new Energy Information Administration data released earlier this month. And the reason for the ups and downs had little to do with the policies Obama put in place and much to do with industry trends tied to the good old marketplace of supply and demand. Just look at the EIA report: Natural gas prices had hit a historic low in 2012, part of a longer trend that led to the major emission cuts Obama took credit for. But those prices also started to tick back up, pushing electric utilities to burn more coal--and in turn pollute more.
FactCheck: That depends on which business leaders you talk to. The White House cited an A.T. Kearney survey as the basis for Obama's remark, noting the US indeed landed at the top of the list for expected foreign direct investment. But the US doesn't fare anywhere near as well in other prominent business analysis.
FactCheck: Obama is right that the international community is getting a level of access to Iran's existing nuclear facilities it has never had before, including daily visits by the IAEA. From there, though, the situation gets more murky.
While Iran is reducing its stockpile of 20%-enriched uranium and won't build more advanced centrifuges while the deal is in place, it's program isn't completely "halted," as Obama suggested.
And although Iran is required to shut down its advanced centrifuges, it doesn't have to get rid of any of them. In addition, Iran can build an unlimited number less sophisticated centrifuges even while the temporary deal is in place.
Fact Check: The GOP fired three separate rebuttal missives at Obama, but the speeches from Rodgers (Wash.) and Sens. Mike Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky.) were heavy on personal narratives and partisan rhetoric that don't lend themselves to obvious fact checks. Still, Rodgers' jab at Obama over the economy, as part of the official GOP response, did overlook several key points.
To start, that shrinking labor force she harps on is largely due to a wave of retiring baby boomers--not exactly a development Obama has any role in. And while the latest financial numbers are far from rosy, the White House can hang its hat on the fact that the December 2013 unemployment rate is the lowest in Obama's presidency: 6.7 percent, down from a 10 percent peak in October 2009. Also, the U.S. economy is up 3.2 million jobs since Obama took office.
Fact Check: This has become a familiar theme by Republicans, but the decline in the labor participation rate is largely due to factors beyond Obama's control--namely the retirement of the Baby Boom generation. When Obama took office in January 2009, the workforce participation rate was 65.7%--and now it is 62.8%. So there has certainly been a decline. But the rate had already been on a steady downward track since it hit a high of 67.3% in 1999.
Just over half of the post-1999 decline in the participation rate comes from the retirement of the baby boomers. Just 15% of the drop in the labor force stems from people who want a job and are of prime working age (25-54).
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The above quotations are from 2014 State of the Union address to Congress, plus the Republican Response: Jan. 28, 2014.
Click here for other excerpts from 2014 State of the Union address to Congress, plus the Republican Response: Jan. 28, 2014. Click here for other excerpts by Cathy McMorris-Rodgers. Click here for a profile of Cathy McMorris-Rodgers.
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