Obama's first State of the Union address all about the economy; North Korea holding American man; Clinton calls for Yemen reforms; new Honduran President takes power; more economic gloom on the way; and more
Top of the Agenda: State of the Union Highlights Economy
U.S. President Barack Obama spent little time (WashPost) on foreign policy during his first State of the Union address, focusing instead on the country's economic recovery. Rather than outlining far-reaching new policies, Obama called on Congress to complete existing initiatives on healthcare, education, financial regulations, and clean energy. He reemphasized his proposals for a three-year freeze on discretionary government spending and steps to help the middle class.
Obama asked (NYT) Democrats to continue supporting their party's policy agenda despite the recent Senate defeat in Massachusetts and for Republicans to help Democrats govern rather than "just saying no to everything." He also said he will issue an executive order to create a deficit commission to address Medicare and Social Security costs. He called for new rules to curb lobbyists' influence and set a goal of doubling exports over the next five years, which he said would support two million jobs.
Background:
Read President Obama's State of the Union speech.
Analysis:
A Wall Street Journal editorial says Obama's address mostly repackaged his existing first-year agenda "in more modest political wrapping" and that his main problem is a belief that economic growth "springs mainly from the genius of government."
On Newsweek.com, Katie Connolly says Obama's address strove to create distance from an unpopular Congress that hampered his first year in office.
In the Christian Science Monitor, Mark Lange says despite Obama's rhetoric, there is little government can do, other than reduce credit cost, to create sustainable employment.
In this Expert Roundup, five CFR experts note different aspects of the challenges facing Obama following his State of the Union address.
In this interview, CFR's Richard Haass says the State of the Union's economic focus indicates "the world of foreign policy and national security is relatively calm" compared to the economy.
PACIFIC RIM: North Korea Tensions
North Korea says (Yonhap) it is holding an American man for illegally crossing its border with China, the second such incident in a month. The country also resumed (Yonhap) shooting near its disputed maritime border with South Korea.
China: Chinese authorities warned banks (WSJ) to constrain lending amid growing concerns about a possible surge in the country's nonperforming loans.
ELSEWHERE:
- Clinton Calls for Yemen Reforms
- New Honduran President Inaugurated
- At Davos, Economists Predict More Gloom
This is an excerpt of the CFR.org Daily News Brief. The full version is available on CFR.org.