Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address was, in the words of CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand, "a companion to the ideological offensive in his
inauguration speech." The New York Times added: "Obama did not match the lofty tone of his inauguration speech, but the address was clearly intended to be its workmanlike companion. In place of his ringing call for a more equitable society was a package of proposals that constitute a blueprint for the remainder of his presidency. Some would require legislation; others merely an executive order." minimum wage, Obama declared "Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger." But despite this Obama noted that it is now his generation's task to "reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth — a rising, thriving middle class." During his speech Obama called on Congress to hike the minimum wage to $9 an hour, proposed the addition of three more urban manufacturing hubs and asked Congress "to help create a network of 15 of these hubs and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in America." up for a vote. The U.S. president proposed to Congress to make high-quality preschool available to every child, provide tax credits for businesses to hire and invest, promote more scientific research and development, further shift cars and trucks away from gasoline, and invest in infrastructure. On climate change, Obama promised executive action if Congress failed to address what he called a litany of evidence that the nation and the world face such as more frequent and powerful storms, wildfires and drought: "If Congress won't act soon to protect future generations, I will," he said. "I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the
consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy." "And let's do it without the brinksmanship that stresses consumers and scares off investors," he continued to applause, mainly from Democrats. "The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. We can't do it. Let's agree, right here, right now, to keep the people's government open, and pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America." "It's not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth." Barack Obama called for a
free trade agreement between the United States and the European Union and announced his intent to complete negotiations on a "Trans-Pacific partnership". He also addressed
drone oversight, the
2013 North Korean nuclear test,
Iran's nuclear program and the Middle East in the context of the
Syrian Civil War. Obama warned the North Korea's reclusive government that it faced further isolation, swift retaliation and a United States bent on improving its own missile defense systems. He spoke about the reduction of nuclear stockpiles in cooperation with Russia: "We'll engage Russia to seek further reductions in our nuclear arsenals and continue leading the global effort to secure nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands." "In defense of freedom, we'll remain the anchor of strong alliances, from the Americas to Africa, from Europe to Asia. In the Middle East, we will stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights, and support stable transitions to democracy." Obama called for lawmakers to work together to be more effective by successfully solving problems regardless of party divisions: "The American people don't expect government to solve every problem. They don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. But they do expect us to put the nation's interests before party." Obama closed his speech with a reference to his second inaugural address ending by saying that all Americans share the same title: "We are citizens. It's a word that doesn't just describe our nationality or legal status. It describes the way we're made. It describes what we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations; that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter in our American story." == Responses ==