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| Date | January 5, 1949 (1949-01-05) |
|---|---|
| Time | 1:00 p.m.EST |
| Venue | House Chamber,United States Capitol |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′23″N77°00′32″W / 38.88972°N 77.00889°W /38.88972; -77.00889 |
| Type | State of the Union Address |
| Participants | Harry S. Truman Kenneth McKellar Sam Rayburn |
| Previous | 1948 State of the Union Address |
| Next | 1950 State of the Union Address |
The1949State of the Union Address was given byHarry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, on Wednesday, January 5, 1949, to the81st United States Congress in the chamber of theUnited States House of Representatives.[1] It was Truman's fourthState of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session wasHouse speakerSam Rayburn, accompanied bySenate president pro temporeKenneth McKellar.
This speech is sometimes referred to as Truman's "Fair Deal" speech[2] since in it he declared that "Every segment of our population and every individual has a right to expect from our Government a fair deal."[1] The termFair Deal came to encompass all of Truman's domestic policy agenda during his time in office. Many of the proposals made in this speech were ones that Truman had previously made to the previousRepublican-majority Congress in his1948 State of the Union Address. Truman reiterated many of them in this address since control of the Congress had shifted in the1948 United States elections to Truman'sDemocratic Party. The domestic-policy proposals that Truman offered in this speech were wide-ranging and included the following:[1][2]
Truman concluded his speech by noting that the United States stood at a consequential place in history and urged the Congress to cooperate with him in rising to the task:[1]
We stand at the opening of an era which can mean either great achievement or terrible catastrophe for ourselves and for all mankind. The strength of our Nation must continue to be used in the interest of all our people rather than a privileged few. It must continue to be used unselfishly in the struggle for world peace and the betterment of mankind the world over. This is the task before us.... Now, I am confident that the Divine Power which has guided us to this time of fateful responsibility and glorious opportunity will not desert us now. With that help from Almighty God which we have humbly acknowledged at every turning point in our national life, we shall be able to perform the great tasks which He now sets before us.
| Preceded by | State of the Union addresses 1949 | Succeeded by |
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