He Shall From Time to Time...
Last night President Barack Obama delivered his fourt State of the Union Address. The speech is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address has two purposes: (1)to report on the condition of the nation, and (2) for the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.
The practice originates from the following command given to the president in the Constitution of the United States:
“He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
— Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution
Although the language of the Constitution is not specific, by tradition, the President makes this report annually in late January. The President is not required to deliver a speech, but every president since Woodrow Wilson has made the State of the Union report as a speech delivered before a joint session of Congress. Before that time, most presidents delivered the State of the Union as a written report. George Washington delivered the first regular annual message before a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1790 in New York City, then the provisional U.S. capital. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson discontinued the practice of delivering the address in person, believing the practice to be too monarchical (similar to the Speech from the Throne). Instead, the address was written and then sent to Congress to be read by a clerk until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson re-established the practice.
Since Wilson, the State of the Union is given typically each January before a joint session of the United States Congress and is held in the House of Representatives chamber of the United States Capitol. The central theme of President Obama's State of the Union address last night was the idea that everybody deserves a fair shake, and that his policies will help make sure they have one. President Obama said that anyone making more than $1 million per year should pay no less than a 30 percent tax rate.
Since 1966, the practice has been for the speech to be followed by a response or rebuttal by a member of the political party opposing the President's party. Last night that response came from Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who argued that President Obama has chosen class warfare and stifling big government over economic progress.
The entire 2012 State of the Union Address can be found here in case you missed it and have an hour and twelve minutes to kill.
The practice originates from the following command given to the president in the Constitution of the United States:
“He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
— Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution
Although the language of the Constitution is not specific, by tradition, the President makes this report annually in late January. The President is not required to deliver a speech, but every president since Woodrow Wilson has made the State of the Union report as a speech delivered before a joint session of Congress. Before that time, most presidents delivered the State of the Union as a written report. George Washington delivered the first regular annual message before a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1790 in New York City, then the provisional U.S. capital. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson discontinued the practice of delivering the address in person, believing the practice to be too monarchical (similar to the Speech from the Throne). Instead, the address was written and then sent to Congress to be read by a clerk until 1913 when Woodrow Wilson re-established the practice.
Since Wilson, the State of the Union is given typically each January before a joint session of the United States Congress and is held in the House of Representatives chamber of the United States Capitol. The central theme of President Obama's State of the Union address last night was the idea that everybody deserves a fair shake, and that his policies will help make sure they have one. President Obama said that anyone making more than $1 million per year should pay no less than a 30 percent tax rate.
Since 1966, the practice has been for the speech to be followed by a response or rebuttal by a member of the political party opposing the President's party. Last night that response came from Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who argued that President Obama has chosen class warfare and stifling big government over economic progress.
The entire 2012 State of the Union Address can be found here in case you missed it and have an hour and twelve minutes to kill.