2015 State of the Union Address

As since 2011, members of Congress sat together, regardless of party. Guests of First Lady Michelle Obama at the Address included the former prisoner of Cuba Alan Gross, astronaut Scott Kelly, DREAM Act immigration reform activist Ana Zamora, Ebola international emergency care coordinator Dr. Pranav Shetty, the CEO of CVS Health (which had recently become the first major retail pharmacy to stop selling tobacco products) Larry Merlo, working mother and community college education beneficiary Rebekah Erler, healthcare insurance acquisition worker Victor Fugate, wounded veteran Staff Sergeant Jason Gibson, sea-level rise researcher Nicole Hernandez Hammer, university student Anthony Mendez, technical education teacher Katrice Mubiru, healthcare coverage beneficiary and mother Astrid Muhammad, Spencer Stone, U.S. Air Force staff sergeant, and others (26 designated guests altogether).{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/michelle-obama-state-of-the-union-guest-list-whos-sitting-with-the-first-lady-114372.html|title=Michelle Obama State of the Union guest list: Who's sitting with the First Lady - POLITICO|author=Jennifer Epstein|date=January 19, 2015|work=POLITICO|access-date=January 21, 2015}}

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was "repeatedly pictured slumbering in her chair" during the address. Ginsburg admitted that she "wasn't 100% sober".{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-31469644|title=BBC News - US Justice Ginsburg admits she was not sober during speech|work=BBC News|date=February 14, 2015 |access-date=February 15, 2015}}

The designated survivor is the member of the president's cabinet who does not attend the address in case of a catastrophic event, in order to maintain continuity of government. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx was the designated survivor.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2015/01/20/obama-designated-survivor-state-of-the-union-ernest-moniz-sally-jewell/22051655/|date=January 20, 2015|title=Obama's 'designated survivor:' Anthony Foxx|work=USA Today}}{{cite web|last=Jackson|first=David|title=O|url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/white-house/if-the-worst-happens-at-the-state-of-the-union-anthony-foxx-will-lead-the-country-20150120|publisher=NationalJournal|date=January 20, 2015|access-date=January 20, 2015|archive-date=January 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121035156/http://www.nationaljournal.com/white-house/if-the-worst-happens-at-the-state-of-the-union-anthony-foxx-will-lead-the-country-20150120|url-status=dead}}

{{see also|Presidency of Barack Obama}}

In general terms, President Obama referenced the country's many struggles over the past fifteen years and argued that the nation seemed primed to "turn the page". The address focused on the improved American economic situation and the fight against terrorism, especially the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.{{cite news|title=Obama says 'shadow of crisis has passed'|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/01/21/obama-says-shadow-crisis-has-passed|access-date=January 21, 2015|work=AAP}} Obama called for community college to be made free, proposed a new tax on Wall Street companies,{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2015-state-of-the-union/state-union-obamas-economic-proposals-add-growing-2016-debate-n290126|title=State of the Union: Obama's Economic Proposals Add to Growing 2016 Debate|work=NBC News|access-date=January 31, 2015}} and announced that he would issue an executive order to guarantee workers up to seven days of paid sick leave.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/21/state-of-the-union-season-going-public/22102351/|title=More than a speech, it's now State of the Union season|author=Gregory Korte, USA TODAY|date=January 21, 2015|work=USA Today|access-date=January 21, 2015}} The President described the nation's drive as "strong" and stated, "Tonight, after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999. Our unemployment rate is now lower than it was before the financial crisis."

In keeping with prior statements by the Obama administration on foreign policy, the President also remarked that the U.S. had good reason to stand up to what it saw as Russian belligerence towards Ukraine. The President specifically called for "upholding the principle that bigger nations can't bully the small." He also reiterated his belief in the idea of American exceptionalism.

In a memorable moment, President Obama deviated from the official text after applause from Republicans following his statement that he had "no more campaigns to run." Obama then added "I know because I won both of them."{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/01/21/obama-draws-new-round-of-gop-animosity-with-i-won-both-of-them-line/|title=Obama draws new round of GOP animosity with 'I won both of them' line|date=January 21, 2015|first=Sean|last=Sullivan|newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news|url=http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/the-state-the-union-social-media-i-won-both-them|first=Nisha|last=Chittal|title=The State of the Union's buzziest moment: 'I won both of them'|date=January 21, 2015|publisher=MSNBC}}

With the speech delivered less than two weeks following the Charlie Hebdo shooting, many members of Congress held pencils during the speech to show their support for freedom of the press as well as to express their sympathy with the victims of the attack.{{cite news|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2015-state-of-the-union/lawmakers-hold-pencils-sotu-support-free-speech-n290091|title=Lawmakers Hold Pencils at SOTU in Support of Free Speech|date=January 20, 2015|work=NBC News}}

Obama became the first president to use the words "lesbian", "gay", "bisexual", and "transgender" in a State of the Union Address, when addressing the need to protect the human rights of religious, sexual and gender minorities.{{cite news|url=https://time.com/3675798/state-union-transgender/|title=State of the Union 2015|author=Tessa Berenson|work=Time|access-date=January 21, 2015|date=January 20, 2015}}

Newly elected U. S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa gave the official Republican response in English to the State of the Union address, with Representative Carlos Curbelo of Florida giving the official Republican Spanish-language response. The English and Spanish responses differed in that the Spanish response talked about immigration issues, whereas the English response did not.{{cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/state-of-the-union-2015-gop-immigration-114430.html#ixzz3PSO54bwS|title=GOP talks immigration reform in Spanish, but not English|date=January 21, 2015|publisher=politico.com|first1=Ben|last1=Schreckinger|first2=Seung Min|last2=Kim|access-date=February 26, 2015}} In addition to the official Republican responses, Representative Curt Clawson of Florida, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky all gave their own televised responses.{{cite magazine|last=Berenson |first=Tessa|url=https://time.com/3675699/state-of-the-union-republican-responses/ |title=There will be 5 Republican Responses to the SOTU |magazine=Time |date=January 20, 2015|access-date=February 26, 2015}}

Obama's televised address was viewed by 33 million Americans, making it the lowest number in recent history.{{cite news|title=The state-of-the-union address: "Middle-class economics"|url=https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21640351-barack-obama-tries-set-tone-2016-middle-class-economics|access-date=January 31, 2015|newspaper=The Economist|date=January 24, 2015}}

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Obama's speech indicated plans for world domination and displayed goading behavior. "The Americans have chosen a path toward confrontation, and do not evaluate their own steps critically at all", Lavrov added.{{cite news|last=Demirjian|first=Karoun|date=January 21, 2015|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/01/21/russias-response-to-sotu-u-s-intends-to-dominate-the-world/|title=Russia's response to SOTU: 'U.S. intends to dominate the world'|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=January 21, 2015}}

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{{Wikisource|Barack Obama's Seventh State of the Union Address|2015 State of the Union Address}}

• {{cite journal|title=Senate|date=January 20, 2015|journal=Congressional Record|publisher=United States Government Publishing Office|place=Washington, DC|volume=161|issue=9|pages=S277–S281|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2015-01-20/pdf/CREC-2015-01-20-senate.pdf|access-date=August 18, 2024}}
• {{cite news|title=2015 State of the Union Address|date=January 20, 2015|publisher=C-SPAN|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?323791-1/2015-state-union-address|access-date=August 18, 2024}}
• {{cite news|title=Republican Response to the State of the Union Address|date=January 20, 2015|publisher=C-SPAN|url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?323873-1/republican-response-state-union-address|access-date=August 18, 2024}}
• [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=109258 2015 State of the Union Response] (transcript)

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