President Obama argued Saturday that the nation was finally back on the right track, and gave a sneak peek at some of his guests for Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
In his weekly address, Obama was unequivocal about America’s comeback after his administration began its work in the wake of a financial crisis and recession.
{mosads}“America’s resurgence is real,” he said.
Obama said Americans can begin 2015 with a rosy outlook. He pointed out that the unemployment rate is falling faster than any year since 1984, jobs growing at rates not seen since the 1990s, and he also highlighted that combat operations are coming to end in Afghanistan.
“The last six years have demanded resilience and sacrifice from all of us,” he said. “All of us have a right to be proud of the progress America has made.”
Obama said he would be inviting several Americans who wrote him letters over the years to attend the State of the Union as his guests. Among them are a small business owner from Colorado who can expand her business thanks to a loan from the Small Business Administration, a once-unemployed man who found work after heading back to school thanks to new student loan relief, and a wounded Afghanistan veteran who has made “extraordinary progress.”
“Stories like these give us reason to start the new year with confidence,” Obama said.
The president said that with the nation now finally heading in the right direction, the new goal was ensuring that all Americans will be able to take advantage of the recovery.
“Our job now is to make sure that every American feels that they’re a part of our country’s comeback. That’s what I’ll focus on in my State of the Union – how to build on our momentum, with rising wages, growing incomes, and a stronger middle class,” he said.
But the president has an uphill climb on his initiatives, after the midterm election handed full control of Congress to Republicans. And his optimistic message may not be hitting home with all voters, as polls have consistently shown that most Americans believe the country is heading in the wrong direction.
“All of us have a right to be proud of the progress America has made,” Obama said. “I hope you’ll tune in on Tuesday to hear about the steps we can take to build on this progress, and to seize this moment together.”