On February 12, President Obama delivered his State of the Union Address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol building. The President addressed the 113th Congress, touching on a number of important issues.

President Obama began by promising not to reduce debt at the expense of social security and Medicare. He continued by talking about his commitment to protect middle class families and declared his support for a bipartisan comprehensive overhaul of the tax code.He promised lower tax rates for businesses that create U.S. jobs, as well fines for businesses that outsource jobs overseas.

When broaching the topic of job creation President Obama requested that Congress pass the rest of the American Jobs Act, raise the federal minimum wage to nine dollars per hour, along with several other tasks that would be performed with the goal of lowering the unemployment rate. He also asked that Congress adopt a proposal to address alternative energy.

The president articulated the need for an immigration reform law and stronger security on the U.S. border. He explained the process illegal immigrants can go through in order to gain U.S. citizenship. In terms of education, President Obama discussed a preschool program that would work with state governments to provide every child with quality early education. He announced the release of a “College Scorecard”. The card will aid families in choosing a college that suits both their academic and financial needs.

The president vowed to maintain a strong military and reduce inefficiencies in defense spending.

He closed with a request for Congress to vote on his gun control proposals. He concluded by reminding his audience that, “…[W]ell 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.”