By — Domenico Montanaro Domenico Montanaro By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins By — Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford By — Simone Pathe Simone Pathe Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/exactly-president-obamas-state-union-proposals Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter What exactly is in President Obama’s State of the Union proposals Politics Jan 19, 2015 10:30 AM EDT Today in the Morning Line: Obama unveils tax increases on wealthy, credits for the middle class It’s the latest round of economic populism from this president Here’s everything else he’s proposed over the last two weeks ahead of the State of the Union Obama’s first salvo in tax reform negotiations: President Obama rolled out his latest State of the Union policy plank Saturday night, and it was a big one — proposing a populist tax plan that would give breaks for working, married couples and child-care tax credits by increasing taxes and fees on the wealthy and Wall Street banks. Expect this to be a central theme of Tuesday’s State of the Union address. Even if Congress doesn’t act, it’s something the White House is betting is the kind of economic populism Democrats can run on in 2016. How the plan would work: Increase capital gains and inherited assets taxes, which the White House is calling the “Trust Fund Loophole” Create a fee on financial firm borrowing What the funds would be used for: A $500 tax credit for families in which two people work A $3,000 child-care tax credit for each child under 5 years old Up to $2,500 a year toward completing a college degree Automatic enrollment in retirement accounts (something the president proposed in last year’s address, which Congress did not act on) What it would cost: David Nather at Politico reports the plan would cost $175 billion over 10 years, but the White House says it would be more than paid for with the capital gains taxes and bank fees raising $320 billion over that same period. All of the proposals and numbers will be fleshed out Feb. 2 when the White House submits its budget to Congress. What else has the president proposed in the last two weeks? Jan. 7 — Jobs/Economy/auto industry. Ford plant in Wayne, Mich., near Detroit: Obama touted his economic record and success of the auto bailout. Jan. 8 — Affordable Housing. Central High School in Phoenix, Ariz. Action: Obama directed the Federal Housing Administration to lower its mortgage insurance premium from 1.35% to 0.85% at end of January. (FHA decision was announced the day before.) Effect: The White House estimates that will attract 250,000 new homeowners and lower mortgages for 800,000 current homeowners. Opposition: Republicans, including House Financial Services Chair Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, say the FHA has insufficient capital reserves and question if those can be repaid adequately with the rate change. Jan. 9 — Free Community College. Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn. Proposal: Obama announced proposal to pay for two-year community college tuition for students meeting criteria. (Example: 2.5 GPA.) Many details TBD. Cost: Would be paid for via a state-federal partnership. White House estimates federal cost at $60 billion over 10 years, state cost at $20 billion over 10 years. Effect: White House estimates 9 million students would be eligible and it would save $3,800 a year on average. Jan. 12 — Identity Theft/Consumer Protection Online. Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. (Same day CentCom’s Twitter feed was hacked.) Proposal: Obama unveiled the “Personal Notification & Protection Act,” requiring companies to notify customers within 30 days of a breach. Proposal: Obama also unveiled the “Student Digital Privacy Act” preventing companies whose software is used in classrooms from selling student data. New resource: The president announced the Federal Trade Commission is developing a one-stop resource for victims of ID theft. Jan. 13 — Cybersecurity. National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. (Biden speech on same theme Jan. 15 in Norfolk, Va.) Proposal: Encourage public-private threat sharing. Proposal: Give law enforcement greater authority to prosecute and go after cybercrime. Proposal: Create federal statute clarifying how businesses should report data breaches to customers. Jan. 14 — Net Neutrality and Expanding Internet Access. Cedar Falls Utility, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Action: Obama has directed the FCC to implement “the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality” and require providers to allow as much open access as possible. Obama called for an end to laws in 19 states that allow some blockage of broadband access. Community Initiative: Commerce is launching “Broadband USA” to offer online and in-person assistance for communities building broadband. Jan. 15 — Paid Sick Leave. Roundtable with women at Charmington’s, a cafe in Baltimore. Action: President signed memorandum allowing federal workers to take “advance” sick leave (they have to pay it back); Proposal: Obama called on Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, legislation previously proposed by Democrats in 2009 that went nowhere. It would allow employees to earn up to seven paid sick days; Republicans argue this could hurt small businesses. Proposal: President wants Congress to pass $2.2 billion grant program to incentivize states to create sick-leave programs. Daily Presidential Trivia: On this day in 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower held the first ever filmed presidential news conference. Which president held the first live news conference? Be the first to tweet us the correct answer using #PoliticsTrivia and you’ll get a Morning Line shout-out. Congratulations to Rich Polanski (@ao2666) and roy wait (@ind22rxw) for guessing Thursday’s trivia: Who was sent to negotiate the peace terms with the North Vietnamese? The answer: Henry Kissinger. 2016 A new CBS News poll shows Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush far in front in terms of who Republicans want to run in 2016. Another hat moves toward the ring. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is setting up a “testing-the-waters committee,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Asked how Republicans can attract more young people, Ted Cruz said his party should tell more jokes and lighten up. The Washington Post’s Dan Balz muses about how Scott Walker doesn’t light up a room. The Economist has posted a kind of guide to what Chris Christie has been doing, and why New Jersey may see him very differently than the rest of the country. The New Yorker’s Alec MacGillis writes how former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush differs from his brother and his father: “Jeb is more introverted and more ideological than both his father, George H. W. Bush, whose politics are driven more by personal associations than by doctrine, and his brother, whose conservatism is more instinctual than considered.” LINE ITEMS On the eve of his State of the Union address, the president’s approval rating stands at 50 percent in the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll. The Secret Service reported that gunshots were fired from a car driving by Vice President Joe Biden’s home in Delaware Sunday night. The vice president and his wife were not home at the time. A newly released document reveals that the National Security Agency broke into North Korea’s computer networks long before the hacking of Sony Pictures. ICYMI: Highlights of President Obama’s plan to tax the wealthy, cut taxes for some others. On Friday the Supreme Court announced it will consider whether all 50 states must allow same-sex marriage this term. NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff spoke with Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal about the announcement and the significance of the court taking up gay marriage. Republicans could gain some political cover if the court were to rule in favor of same-sex marriage. For State of the Union watchers: here’s the White House list for who will be sitting in the First Lady’s box (and could well be mentioned in the speech). Forget Keystone and oil for a minute. In Montana, the debate over logging and federal lands is raging. A group of female House Republicans, led by Rep. Renee Ellmers, is pushing for GOP leadership to change a 20-week abortion bill that would limit exemptions in the case of rape only to those who had reported their assault to police. Billionaire Tom Steyer, who could announce a bid for retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer’s seat as early as next week, is telling supporters he won’t serve more than one term if he can’t achieve what he wants to on the environment, economy and education. Democrats will only have to defend 10 senate seats next election cycle, and Republicans have to protect a good number of senators in Obama-won states. The Washington Post lays out which states will have the most competitive senate races, as of now. Those Ebola treatment centers the U.S. built in Liberia? Most of them are empty. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to raise the minimum wage in New York City to $11.50 and to $10.50 in the rest of the state. On this Martin Luther King Day, Pew shows how blacks and whites perceive (and experience) the world differently. Keep an eye on the Rundown blog for breaking news throughout the day, our home page for show segments, and follow @NewsHour for the latest. TOP TWEETS Stunned. Well, I'm a woman of my word. @RepJimMcDermott: I believe I owe you some beer/cheese curds. Well done to both teams! #PackersNation — Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) January 18, 2015 AWESOME AFC CHAMPIONSHIP #Patriots WIN. Here we go #SuperBowl2015! — Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) January 19, 2015 When the #Packers play, I'm a nervous eater. Plenty of snacks today: pizza, pigs-in-a-blanket, chips & cheese dip… pic.twitter.com/8Akrfw4qm8 — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) January 18, 2015 For more political coverage, visit our politics page. Sign up here to receive the Morning Line in your inbox every morning. Questions or comments? Email Domenico Montanaro at dmontanaro-at-newshour-dot-org or Rachel Wellford at rwellford-at-newshour-dot-org. Follow the politics team on Twitter: Follow @DomenicoPBS Follow @elizsummers Follow @rachelwellford Follow @sfpathe By — Domenico Montanaro Domenico Montanaro By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS NewsHour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work. @LisaDNews By — Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford Rachel Wellford is a general assignment producer for PBS NewsHour. @rachelwellford By — Simone Pathe Simone Pathe @sfpathe
Today in the Morning Line: Obama unveils tax increases on wealthy, credits for the middle class It’s the latest round of economic populism from this president Here’s everything else he’s proposed over the last two weeks ahead of the State of the Union Obama’s first salvo in tax reform negotiations: President Obama rolled out his latest State of the Union policy plank Saturday night, and it was a big one — proposing a populist tax plan that would give breaks for working, married couples and child-care tax credits by increasing taxes and fees on the wealthy and Wall Street banks. Expect this to be a central theme of Tuesday’s State of the Union address. Even if Congress doesn’t act, it’s something the White House is betting is the kind of economic populism Democrats can run on in 2016. How the plan would work: Increase capital gains and inherited assets taxes, which the White House is calling the “Trust Fund Loophole” Create a fee on financial firm borrowing What the funds would be used for: A $500 tax credit for families in which two people work A $3,000 child-care tax credit for each child under 5 years old Up to $2,500 a year toward completing a college degree Automatic enrollment in retirement accounts (something the president proposed in last year’s address, which Congress did not act on) What it would cost: David Nather at Politico reports the plan would cost $175 billion over 10 years, but the White House says it would be more than paid for with the capital gains taxes and bank fees raising $320 billion over that same period. All of the proposals and numbers will be fleshed out Feb. 2 when the White House submits its budget to Congress. What else has the president proposed in the last two weeks? Jan. 7 — Jobs/Economy/auto industry. Ford plant in Wayne, Mich., near Detroit: Obama touted his economic record and success of the auto bailout. Jan. 8 — Affordable Housing. Central High School in Phoenix, Ariz. Action: Obama directed the Federal Housing Administration to lower its mortgage insurance premium from 1.35% to 0.85% at end of January. (FHA decision was announced the day before.) Effect: The White House estimates that will attract 250,000 new homeowners and lower mortgages for 800,000 current homeowners. Opposition: Republicans, including House Financial Services Chair Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, say the FHA has insufficient capital reserves and question if those can be repaid adequately with the rate change. Jan. 9 — Free Community College. Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn. Proposal: Obama announced proposal to pay for two-year community college tuition for students meeting criteria. (Example: 2.5 GPA.) Many details TBD. Cost: Would be paid for via a state-federal partnership. White House estimates federal cost at $60 billion over 10 years, state cost at $20 billion over 10 years. Effect: White House estimates 9 million students would be eligible and it would save $3,800 a year on average. Jan. 12 — Identity Theft/Consumer Protection Online. Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. (Same day CentCom’s Twitter feed was hacked.) Proposal: Obama unveiled the “Personal Notification & Protection Act,” requiring companies to notify customers within 30 days of a breach. Proposal: Obama also unveiled the “Student Digital Privacy Act” preventing companies whose software is used in classrooms from selling student data. New resource: The president announced the Federal Trade Commission is developing a one-stop resource for victims of ID theft. Jan. 13 — Cybersecurity. National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. (Biden speech on same theme Jan. 15 in Norfolk, Va.) Proposal: Encourage public-private threat sharing. Proposal: Give law enforcement greater authority to prosecute and go after cybercrime. Proposal: Create federal statute clarifying how businesses should report data breaches to customers. Jan. 14 — Net Neutrality and Expanding Internet Access. Cedar Falls Utility, Cedar Falls, Iowa. Action: Obama has directed the FCC to implement “the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality” and require providers to allow as much open access as possible. Obama called for an end to laws in 19 states that allow some blockage of broadband access. Community Initiative: Commerce is launching “Broadband USA” to offer online and in-person assistance for communities building broadband. Jan. 15 — Paid Sick Leave. Roundtable with women at Charmington’s, a cafe in Baltimore. Action: President signed memorandum allowing federal workers to take “advance” sick leave (they have to pay it back); Proposal: Obama called on Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, legislation previously proposed by Democrats in 2009 that went nowhere. It would allow employees to earn up to seven paid sick days; Republicans argue this could hurt small businesses. Proposal: President wants Congress to pass $2.2 billion grant program to incentivize states to create sick-leave programs. Daily Presidential Trivia: On this day in 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower held the first ever filmed presidential news conference. Which president held the first live news conference? Be the first to tweet us the correct answer using #PoliticsTrivia and you’ll get a Morning Line shout-out. Congratulations to Rich Polanski (@ao2666) and roy wait (@ind22rxw) for guessing Thursday’s trivia: Who was sent to negotiate the peace terms with the North Vietnamese? The answer: Henry Kissinger. 2016 A new CBS News poll shows Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush far in front in terms of who Republicans want to run in 2016. Another hat moves toward the ring. South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is setting up a “testing-the-waters committee,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Asked how Republicans can attract more young people, Ted Cruz said his party should tell more jokes and lighten up. The Washington Post’s Dan Balz muses about how Scott Walker doesn’t light up a room. The Economist has posted a kind of guide to what Chris Christie has been doing, and why New Jersey may see him very differently than the rest of the country. The New Yorker’s Alec MacGillis writes how former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush differs from his brother and his father: “Jeb is more introverted and more ideological than both his father, George H. W. Bush, whose politics are driven more by personal associations than by doctrine, and his brother, whose conservatism is more instinctual than considered.” LINE ITEMS On the eve of his State of the Union address, the president’s approval rating stands at 50 percent in the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll. The Secret Service reported that gunshots were fired from a car driving by Vice President Joe Biden’s home in Delaware Sunday night. The vice president and his wife were not home at the time. A newly released document reveals that the National Security Agency broke into North Korea’s computer networks long before the hacking of Sony Pictures. ICYMI: Highlights of President Obama’s plan to tax the wealthy, cut taxes for some others. On Friday the Supreme Court announced it will consider whether all 50 states must allow same-sex marriage this term. NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff spoke with Marcia Coyle of The National Law Journal about the announcement and the significance of the court taking up gay marriage. Republicans could gain some political cover if the court were to rule in favor of same-sex marriage. For State of the Union watchers: here’s the White House list for who will be sitting in the First Lady’s box (and could well be mentioned in the speech). Forget Keystone and oil for a minute. In Montana, the debate over logging and federal lands is raging. A group of female House Republicans, led by Rep. Renee Ellmers, is pushing for GOP leadership to change a 20-week abortion bill that would limit exemptions in the case of rape only to those who had reported their assault to police. Billionaire Tom Steyer, who could announce a bid for retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer’s seat as early as next week, is telling supporters he won’t serve more than one term if he can’t achieve what he wants to on the environment, economy and education. Democrats will only have to defend 10 senate seats next election cycle, and Republicans have to protect a good number of senators in Obama-won states. The Washington Post lays out which states will have the most competitive senate races, as of now. Those Ebola treatment centers the U.S. built in Liberia? Most of them are empty. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to raise the minimum wage in New York City to $11.50 and to $10.50 in the rest of the state. On this Martin Luther King Day, Pew shows how blacks and whites perceive (and experience) the world differently. Keep an eye on the Rundown blog for breaking news throughout the day, our home page for show segments, and follow @NewsHour for the latest. TOP TWEETS Stunned. Well, I'm a woman of my word. @RepJimMcDermott: I believe I owe you some beer/cheese curds. Well done to both teams! #PackersNation — Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) January 18, 2015 AWESOME AFC CHAMPIONSHIP #Patriots WIN. Here we go #SuperBowl2015! — Kelly Ayotte (@KellyAyotte) January 19, 2015 When the #Packers play, I'm a nervous eater. Plenty of snacks today: pizza, pigs-in-a-blanket, chips & cheese dip… pic.twitter.com/8Akrfw4qm8 — Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) January 18, 2015 For more political coverage, visit our politics page. Sign up here to receive the Morning Line in your inbox every morning. Questions or comments? Email Domenico Montanaro at dmontanaro-at-newshour-dot-org or Rachel Wellford at rwellford-at-newshour-dot-org. Follow the politics team on Twitter: Follow @DomenicoPBS Follow @elizsummers Follow @rachelwellford Follow @sfpathe