Washington Insight - January 2016

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President Obama Delivers State of the Union Address -

In his eighth and final State of the Union address, President Obama focused on his views of and hopes for the future beyond his last year in office. Rather than outlining a specific policy agenda for the year, he referenced his priorities at the outset and then turned to four major issues facing Americans in the coming years: economic opportunity, ensuring technology works for, not against, us; keeping America secure without being caught in a quagmire; and fixing our politics. In these four areas, he aimed both to place the actions taken during his presidency in a historical context as well as to offer lessons learned and guidance on how to take advantage of change and opportunities in the world.

Overall, his address was less about what he would do in his last year and more about what he challenged Americans to do after he had left office. Some were specific to issues: lifting the embargo on Cuba, focusing on global warming, passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, and passing legislation to require greater disclosure of campaign contributions. But other points were more aspirational, such reducing the gridlock in Washington by greater civility and greater acceptance of immigrants and minorities. Many believe these points were directed at several Republican presidential candidates. By taking on Republican primary candidates, Obama was offering the ultimate Democratic nominee, and potentially his successor, comfort and support.

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DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.

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