53. President Obama Takes State of the Union Speech to Public

President Obama traveled for two days after giving his "State of the Union" speech¹ to Congress and the nation earlier this week². He visited four states to support³ policy plans⁴ he proposed in his yearly⁵ message.

                                                                                 

The traditional road trip⁶ after a State of the Union speech first took⁷ the president to a community in Maryland.  He spoke⁸ to workers at a Costco store⁹.  He told them “nobody¹⁰ who works full-time¹¹ should ever have to¹² raise a family in poverty¹³.”

In his message to Congress, one of Mr. Obama’s major points¹⁴ was that he would reduce the increasing¹⁵ differences in income¹⁶ between America’s rich and poor.  Other major issues¹⁷ included jobs and immigration.

                     

The president said he will continue to reach out to¹⁸ Congress to work on long-term¹⁹ issues. But he said he also²⁰ plans to use executive orders, or presidential powers, to press for his goals²¹.

These include his plans to raise the minimum wage²².  It would require²³ federal contractors²⁴ to pay their federally-financed employees²⁵ what he called a fair wage²⁶.

He said that amount²⁷ would be at least²⁸ ten dollars and ten cents an hour.  The current²⁹ federal minimum wage is seven dollars and twenty five cents an hour.

                                                           

If job creation³⁰ and other improvements³¹ continue, Mr. Obama said 2014 could be³² a year of good progress.  But he criticized³³ Republican protests against³⁴ his health care law³⁵, the Affordable³⁶ Care Act.  The law is more commonly known as Obamacare.  He urged³⁷ Republicans in Congress not to vote again to cancel it.

“The question for folks³⁸ in Washington is whether³⁹ they are going to help that progress or hinder⁴⁰ that progress, whether they are going to waste time⁴¹ in creating new crises for people and new uncertainty⁴² like the shutdown⁴³. Or are we going to spend time⁴⁴ creating new jobs and new opportunities?”

                            

The shutdown took place⁴⁵ last October. It involved a temporary suspension of government services.  It took place because lawmakers⁴⁶ failed to pass⁴⁷ a spending bill in the required time.

Mr. Obama noted improvements⁴⁸ in the economy, including lower unemployment⁴⁹ and increased manufacturing⁵⁰.  The jobless rate⁵¹ is now at 6.7 percent, a five-year low.  Mister Obama said the drop⁵² results in part from an increase in manufacturing jobs.  But, the president said it is not enough⁵³ that more people are working.

                                                          

The president also told the nation about plans to help people who are in the country illegally become citizens⁵⁴.  He urged Congress to approve an immigration reform measure that passed the Senate last year.  But intense opposition from conservatives⁵⁵ has tied up⁵⁶ the bill⁵⁷ in the House of Representatives⁵⁸.

After the speech, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers gave the Republican Party⁵⁹ response.  She suggested a different way of balancing⁶⁰ the difference in income⁶¹ between rich and poor.  She suggested less government.

“We hope⁶² the president will join us⁶³ in a year of real action – by empowering people⁶⁴ -not making their lives harder with unprecedented spending⁶⁵, higher taxes⁶⁶ and fewer jobs.”

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell criticized⁶⁷ the idea of Mr. Obama using executive orders to gain his goals⁶⁸.

                     

From VOA Learning English, that’s In the News. I’m Steve Ember.

VOCABULARY

1. speech = discurso
2. earlier this week = no início desta semana
3. support = apoiar
4. policy plans = planos de diretrizes
5. yearly = anual
6. road trip = viagem por estrada
7. took = levou
8. spoke = falou
9. store = loja
10. nobody = ninguem
11. full-time = horário integral
12. should ever have to = deveria jamais  ter que
13. raise a family in poverty = criar uma família na pobreza
14. major points = pontos principais
15. increasing = crescentes
16. income = renda
17. issues = questões
18. reach out to = ir até
19. long-term = de longo prazo
20. also = também
21. press for his goals = pressionar por seus objetivos
22. raise the minimum wage = aumentar o salario minimo
23. would require = exigiria
24. contractors = empreiteiros, contratantes
25. employees = empregados
26. fair wage = salário justo
27. amount = quantia
28. at least = pelo menos
29. current = atual
30. job creation = criação de empregos
31. improvements = melhorias
32. could be = poderia ser
33. criticized = criticou
34. against = contra
35. health care law = lei de assistencia medica
36. Affordable = acessível
37. urged = pressionou
38. folks = povo
39. whether = se ( ou não )
40. hinder = impedir, dificultar
41. waste time = desperdiçar tempo
42. uncertainty = incerteza
43. shutdown = fechamento
44. spend time = passar tempo
45. took place = aconteceu
46. lawmakers = legisladores
47. failed to pass = falharam em aprovar
48. improvements = melhorias
49. lower unemployment = abaixar o desemprego
50. manufacturing = produção industrial
51. jobless rate = taxa de desemprego
52. drop = queda
53. enough = o suficiente
54. become citizens = tornarem cidadãos
55. conservatives = conservadores
56. tied up = amarrado
57. bill = projeto de lei
58. House of Representative = camara dos deputados
59. Republican Party = Partido Republicano
60. way of balancing = forma de equilibrar
61. income = renda
62. hope = esperar
63. join us = juntar-se a nós
64. empowering people = capacitar as pessoas
65. unprecedented spending = gastos sem precedentes
66. taxes = impostos
67. criticized = criticou
68. gain his goals = conquistar seus objetivos