Full video of the speech as published by theWhite House | |
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| Date | January 25, 2011 (2011-01-25) |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:00 p.m.EST |
| Duration | 1 hour, 1 minute |
| Venue | House Chamber,United States Capitol |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′19.8″N77°00′32.8″W / 38.888833°N 77.009111°W /38.888833; -77.009111 |
| Type | State of the Union Address |
| Participants | |
| Footage | C-SPAN |
| Previous | 2010 State of the Union Address |
| Next | 2012 State of the Union Address |
| Website | Full text by Archives.gov |
The2011 State of the Union Address was given by the 44thpresident of the United States,Barack Obama, on January 25, 2011, at 9:00 p.m.EST, in the chamber of theUnited States House of Representatives to the112th United States Congress.[1] It was Obama's secondState of the Union Address and histhird speech to ajoint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was theHouse speaker,John Boehner, accompanied byJoe Biden, thevice president, in his capacity as thepresident of the Senate.
It was the first address to aRepublican-controlled Congress since 2006. It was also the first to be simulcast online as an "enhanced version" featuring accompanying graphics for key points of the address, a style which would be replicated throughout Obama's subsequent State of the Union addresses.
In this joint session Obama outlined his “vision for an America that’s more determined, more competitive, better positioned for the future—an America where we out-innovate, we out-educate, we out-build the rest of the world; where we take responsibility for our deficits; where we reform our government to meet the demands of a new age.”[2][3][4]
As always, the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives,Vice PresidentJoe Biden (asSenate President) andHouse SpeakerJohn Boehner sat behind the president. This is the first time a Republican has sat behind President Obama during ajoint session of Congress.
In light of the2011 Tucson shooting of RepresentativeGabby Giffords and others, the WashingtonThird Way think tank sent a letter to Congressional leadership proposing members of Congress abandon a 96-year-long tradition of sitting with their party and instead sit together in a show of national unity. SenatorMark Udall of Colorado picked up Third Way's proposal and sent a letter to Congressional members urging them to sit together regardless of party, breaking with tradition.[5] Sixty members of the House and Senate signaled their support for the plan,[6] and members of both houses sat with members of the opposite party. Groups included Arizona's House delegation of five Republicans and two Democrats (with an empty chair for Giffords), past presidential candidatesJohn Kerry andJohn McCain, and campaign leadersJohn Cornyn andPatty Murray.[7] Legislators wore black-and-white ribbons in honor of the victims of the shooting.
After visibly reacting to President Obama's criticism during the 2010 State of the Union of theCitizens United decision,Supreme Court JusticesSamuel Alito,Antonin Scalia, andClarence Thomas did not attend the speech.[8]Secretary of the InteriorKen Salazar served as thedesignated survivor and did not attend the speech.[9]
Other notable guests included:
According to a White House fact sheet published by NMD Newswire US-President Obama underscored in his 2011 State of the Union Address "the need to maintain America’s leadership in a rapidly changing world so that our economy is competitive – growing and working for all Americans."[10] In order to achieve this Obama outlined "a plan to help the United States win the future by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building our global competition. At the same time, the President understands the need to reform the way our government does business and take responsibility for our deficit - by investing in what makes America stronger and cutting what doesn't."[10]
Rep.Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Chair of theHouse Budget Committee, gave theRepublican response afterward.[11] Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, Chair of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee, gave a Spanish version of the response.[12]
Rep.Michele Bachmann of Minnesota gave an address in response to Obama's speech on behalf of theTea Party Express.[13] Some Republicans opposed Bachmann's decision, worrying she would draw attention away from Ryan. Bachmann was refused access to theCapitol Hill Club to make her speech, forcing her to give the speech from theNational Press Club.[14]
Florida Republican SenatorMarco Rubio gave a mixed review of Obama's speech, saying, "While I was encouraged by the President's support for an earmark ban and will work with him towards that goal, his call for a mere budget freeze does not go far enough in tackling our record debt. At the very least, we should freeze non-defense and non-veterans discretionary spending to what it was before Washington began its unprecedented, record-setting spending binge two years ago. But most importantly, we need to finally begin fundamentally reforming the way our government spends the American people's money." Democratic SenatorBill Nelson, also of Florida, praised Obama for "bringing us out of recession with jobs, helping small business, helping seniors with retirement security, getting government spending under control. Then he talked about civility. How do we treat each other? That’s going to matter a lot."[15] Florida GovernorRick Scott strongly criticized Obama's speech while New York SenatorsChuck Schumer andKirsten Gillibrand praised his economic agenda.[16][17]
Leaders of several smaller political parties also gave prepared responses to the speech. TheLibertarian Party's response was delivered by Executive DirectorWes Benedict.[18] Billy Wharton, co-chair of theSocialist Party USA, released a response through his party's website.[19]Sam Webb, chairman of theCommunist Party USA, released a response through the party's main website.[20]
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