Carolyn Maloney

New York City Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was quite pleased with President Barack Obama's State of the Union address last night, but she's not optimistic about Congress heeding the president's call to to avoid the $85 billion in automatic spending cuts known as the "sequester" that are scheduled to go into effect March 1.

"I love his speech he came out swinging," Ms. Maloney told Politicker about the president's speech last night. 

Ms. Maloney also said "there's no question" President Obama's speech was an indication he will be more aggressive in pushing for his agenda in his second term than he was in his first.

"He sounded very F.D.R. with all his specific programs plans and visions," she said.

One of the central elements of the president's State of the Union address was  a push for Congress to avoid the sequester cuts by coming to a deficit reduction agreement ahead of the deadline. While Republicans have said they want spending cuts to focus on social programs and so-called entitlements, Democrats have focused on closing tax loopholes. President Obama urged his fellow Democrats to "embrace the need for modest reforms" in Medicare and other social programs, but he also expressed the need to get "rid of tax loopholes and deductions."

"I realize that tax reform and entitlement reform will not be easy.  The politics will be hard for both sides.  None of us will get 100 percent of what we want," President Obama said. "But the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, visit hardship on millions of hardworking Americans.  So let’s set party interests aside and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future."

Though Ms. Maloney said she "certainly hope[s] that there will be an agreement," she was decidedly pessimistic about the prospect her colleagues in Congress will be able to make a deal to dodge sequestration.

"It's in the interest of the country, it's in the interest of our economy to avoid these across-the-board, automatic cuts, but we seem far apart at this point," explained Ms. Maloney. "In order to move forward, you need compromise, and when the opposition party is saying they're not going to compromise, I don't see how you move forward."

Though she described the Republicans as "pretty dug in" on the budget fight, Ms. Maloney held out hope there may be a last minute deal as there was when Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell managed to come to an agreement to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" earlier this year.

"Maybe they change," Ms. Maloney said of the Republicans. "That's what happened with Biden and McConnell. Maybe Biden and McConnell will come in or the president comes in at the end, but right now, we're marching towards sequestration. I hope we can avert it or there will be an agreement, but they seem very divided."

For his part, Mr. McConnell indicated he won't be part of any at-the-buzzer dealmaking when asked about the looming sequester by The Hill yesterday.

"Read my lips: I am not interested in an eleventh-hour negotiation," he said.

Governor Andrew Cuomo (Photo: Getty)

Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a lengthy statement responding to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address last night commending the president's education proposals, call to raise the minimum wage and commitment to gun control.

"President Obama put forward a bold, comprehensive agenda in his 2013 State of the Union Address that continues to rebuild our nation’s economy and strengthens the middle class," the governor began. "The vision President Obama presented tonight is one we embrace here in New York. The President laid out an agenda for a vibrant American future, where we work together to bring jobs back from overseas, train our young people to have the skills they need to succeed in the workforce, and ensure those who work long and hard hours can provide for their families."

Governor Cuomo specifically highlighted President Obama's push for universal preschool and his proposal to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00 an hour. In New York, Governor Cuomo had previously put forward a plan to raise the state minimum wage to $8.75 an hour in his budget.

"The President from his first day in office has sought to reform our education system to benefit our students, and the vision he put forward tonight continues this effort by calling for all our children to have access to high quality preschool education," Governor Cuomo said. "I commend his proposal to raise the federal minimum wage, in recognition that the current rate is not enough to earn a living."

In the past month, Governor Cuomo pushed to pass a "sweeping" gun control policy package in New York at the expense of his own poll numbers. He applauded the president's call for "commonsense" gun control measures including background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazines.

"Since the President delivered his 2012 State of the Union Address just twelve months ago, our nation has felt more than in any year before the tragic consequences of gun violence, from the senseless shooting in Aurora, Colorado, the evil massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, to the murder of two of our first responders in Webster," said the governor. "The President is right to say that action must be taken. The vast majority of Americans believe in sensible gun safety laws, and I commend the President for outlining a series of reasonable measures to reduce gun violence in our nation."

Governor Cuomo closed his response to the president's State of the Union speech by noting the support New York's lawmakers received from the White House in their push for federal aid following Hurricane Sandy and indicating his desire to have "continued collaboration" with the Obama administration and other officials in Washington.

"Over the past months, New Yorkers have been thankful for the President’s leadership and action in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The federal funding that our Congressional delegation fought so hard for and the President signed into law will be a major help for our state and entire region, and will enable our communities to rebuild smarter and stronger than before," the governor said. "As President Obama begins his second term in office and our nation’s economy begins to get back on track, I look forward to continued collaboration between New York and our federal partners as we work toward finding solutions to the problems we face and building a bright future for our children."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Photo: Getty)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has emerged as one of the nation's loudest gun control advocates in recent months. Unsurprisingly, in his response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address last night, the mayor focused on the Commander in Chief's push for stronger gun control laws including background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazines.

"Tonight, President Obama made a clarion call to fix the nation’s broken gun laws," Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement. "In a chamber filled with both survivors of gun violence and the men and women of the United States Congress who have the power to improve our gun laws, President Obama implored both parties to come together on an issue that has the support of the vast majority of Americans: keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people."

Mayor Bloomberg also praised the president for expressing support for another one of his pet issues--immigration reform.

"I was also very encouraged that the President has placed immigration at the forefront of his jobs agenda," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Reforming our immigration laws is critical to job creation and securing our nation’s economic future. I am more hopeful than ever that the President can work with leaders of both parties to achieve meaningful reform on these profound issues."

(Photo: Getty)

In his State of the Union address last night, President Barack Obama announced a new initiative to protect American citizens and businesses from hack attacks. Cybersecurity, of course, has recently made the news as complex attacks--allegedly linked to the Chinese military--have been waged against both government institutions and the media. President Obama's executive order, which he announced in his speech after the White House sent reporters a preview, aims to curb this activity as well as more pedestrian hacking threats.

"America must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyber-attacks," Mr. Obama declared. "We know hackers steal people’s identities and infiltrate private e-mail. We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and our air traffic control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy.

To that end, President Obama signed an executive order dedicated to "increasing information sharing, and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs, and our privacy."

Specifically, according to a White House briefing that you can view below, the order "requires Federal agencies to produce unclassified reports of threats to U.S. companies and requires the reports to be shared in a timely manner" and "directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to lead the development of a framework of cybersecurity practices to reduce cyber risks to critical infrastructure." The executive order also calls on regulatory agencies to review existing cybersecurity regulations to "determine if existing requirements are sufficient, and whether any existing regulations can be eliminated as no longer effective." All of the government agencies and participating "critical infrastructure" companies affected by the order are also required to "incorporate privacy and civil liberties safeguards"in any resulting changes they make.

Along with the plans mandated by his executive order, President Obama also urged Congress to act "by passing legislation to give our government a greater capacity to secure our networks and deter attacks." In spite of the president's push to police the digital realm, sadly, it doesn't seem like the White House plans to do anything about pop-up ads.

President Barack Obama delivering his State of the Union address this evening. (Photo: Getty)

President Obama included his discussion of environmental issues and climate change after outlining initiatives to grow manufacturing jobs and before discussing plans to improve national infrastructure and help home owners. He closed this portion of his speech by describing all of these proposals as potentially spurring job growth.

"These initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, and housing will help entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create new jobs," President Obama said in the prepared version of his remarks.

Sandwiched in between his policies on manufacturing jobs, road and bridge construction and housing, President Obama expressed a need for the government to "do more to combat climate change." To bolster this argument, he cited several weather events, including Hurricane Sandy."

"Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods--all are now more frequent and intense," said the president. "We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science--and act before it’s too late."

President Obama went on to call for a "bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change" that would "make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth." Specifically, he called for expanding solar and wind energy initiatives, fastracking oil and gas permits to take advantage of a "natural gas boom" that he said has "led to cleaner power and greater energy independence" and funding research and technology to help natural gas burn "even cleaner." He also proposed using oil and gas revenues from public lands to "fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good." He hinted this was also a good economic move by noting it was supported by "a non-partisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals."

The President also stuck with the strategy of casting his policies on more controversial issues in terms of potential economic benefit when he brought up immigration.

"Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants," President Obama said. "And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform."

On this front, President Obama said he would push for "strong border security" and for "establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship" including background checks, taxes and penalties, English language requirements and prioritization for those who have been attempting to come to the U.S. through legal channels. He closed his call for immigration reform by citing another potential economic benefit--an influx of "highly-skilled" workers.
 
"Real reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods, reduce bureaucracy, and attract the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and grow our economy," said President Obama.
 
President Obama closed his speech by bringing up another potentially controversial issue, gun control. Though he didn't turn to economic arguments to support his plans for increased regulation of firearms, he framed the issue as a question of securing the safety of the nation's children, and as a result, far more important to the future of the nation than any plan to improve America's financial situation.

"Of course, what I’ve said tonight matters little if we don’t come together to protect our most precious resource--our children," the president began. "It has been two months since Newtown. I know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. But this time is different. Overwhelming majorities of Americans ... have come together around commonsense reform."

President Obama said these "commonsense" gun control reforms include background checks and banning high-capacity magazines.

"Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that’s your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote," President Obama said. "Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun."
 
Though President Obama took on climate change, immigration reform and gun control in his speech, there were two notable hot-button issues he didn't address; gay marriage and abortion. The president only briefly alluded to gay and lesbian issues once in his speech when he described efforts to take care of the country's armed forces and cited the plan announced yesterday to provide benefits to same-sex spouses of servicemembers as an example of his administration's commitment to the troops.

"We must to protect those who serve their country abroad, and we will maintain the best military in the world," said the president. "We will invest in new capabilities, even as we reduce waste and wartime spending. We will ensure equal treatment for all service members, and equal benefits for their families--gay and straight."

Reproductive rights and the abortion debate were not mentioned at all in the president's speech. However, issue featured prominently in Senator Marco Rubio's Republican response to the State of the Union, which began on a loud, pro-life note.

"The State of the Union address is always a reminder of how unique America is," Mr. Rubio said. "But America is exceptional, because we believe that every life, at every stage, is precious."

(photo: whitehouse.gov)

In his State of the Union speech tonight, President Barack Obama addressed many of the most pressing issues on the world stage including the tense diplomatic situations in Iran and North Korea and the War on Terror in Afghanistan.

On the campaign trail, President Obama vowed to pull all American troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014. However, shortly after the election, the White House said they would not be able to commit to a specific withdrawal schedule in Afghanistan. Addressing the nation tonight, President Obama returned to his campaign promise and said the remaining U.S. troops in that country would be withdrawn in the next 22 months.

"Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women," President Obama said. "This spring, our forces will move into a support role, while Afghan security forces take the lead. Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan. This draw-down will continue.  And by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over."

Though he promised to pull American forces out of Afghanistan, President Obama said some form of U.S. military "commitment" will continue there in the years ahead, as will our battle against al-Qaeda.

"Beyond 2014, America’s commitment to a unified and sovereign Afghanistan will endure, but the nature of our commitment will change," he explained. "We are negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government that focuses on two missions: training and equipping Afghan forces so that the country does not again slip into chaos, and counter-terrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al-Qaeda and their affiliates."

President President Obama followed his discussion of the War on Terror by addressing another potential national security threat, North Korea, which alarmed many observers with a nuclear weapons test earlier this week. For his part, President Obama vowed to take "firm action" as a result of North Korea's provocations.

"Of course, our challenges don’t end with al Qaeda," said President Obama. "America will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the world’s most dangerous weapons. The regime in North Korea must know that they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations. Provocations of the sort we saw last night will only isolate them further, as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defense, and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats."

North Korea isn't the only corner of the world where nuclear weapons are an issue. President Obama continued by talking about the potentially radioactive situation in Iran.

"Likewise, the leaders of Iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution, because a coalition stands united in demanding that they meet their obligations, and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon," said the president.

He also said the White House will undertake diplomatic efforts to contain nuclear weapons in countries that aren't as directly antagonistic with the U.S. as North Korean and Iran.

"At the same time, we will engage Russia to seek further reductions in our nuclear arsenals, and continue leading the global effort to secure nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands," President Obama said.

Along with Afghanistan, North Korea and Iran, the president previewed some of the messages he plans to broadcast on his upcoming trip to the Middle East.

"In the Middle East, we will stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights, and support stable transitions to democracy," the president said. "We will keep the pressure on a Syrian regime that has murdered its own people, and support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every Syrian. And we will stand steadfast with Israel in pursuit of security and a lasting peace."

(photo: whitehouse.gov)

Step aside Governor Andrew Cuomo, President Barack Obama has one-upped your minimum wage proposal.

In his State of the Union speech tonight, Mr. Obama unveiled a number of initiatives, including a new national minimum wage rate of $9.00 an hour, raised from the previous minimum of $7.25.

"We know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest day’s work with honest wages," Mr. Obama says in his prepared remarks. "But today, a full-time worker making the minimum wage earns $14,500 a year. Even with the tax relief we’ve put in place, a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. That’s wrong. That’s why, since the last time this Congress raised the minimum wage, nineteen states have chosen to bump theirs even higher."

Mr. Obama further argued that future minimum wage increases should be tied to inflation, an idea he said even his former electoral opponent, Mitt Romney, agrees with him on.

"Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour," he continued. "For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets. In fact, working folks shouldn’t have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while CEO pay has never been higher. So here’s an idea that Governor Romney and I actually agreed on last year: let’s tie the minimum wage to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage you can live on."

In New York, Gov. Cuomo's recently-unveiled budget contains a minimum wage increase to $8.75 with no index to inflation, although with multiple legislative proposals on the table, it's difficult to ascertain where the final compromise will lie.

Mr. Obama, however, could have a harder slog than Mr. Cuomo in implementing his idea, as Republicans in the New York State Legislature have largely conceded to an increase in some form. The GOP-controlled House of Representatives may not be as friendly to an Obama-backed minimum wage hike.

Congressman Bob Turner (Photo: Getty)

Republican Congressman Bob Turner was not impressed with President Barack Obama's State of the Union address. He released a statement after the speech criticizing it as "more rhetoric than realistic policy."

"The loss of the Keystone Pipeline project, the implementation of job killing regulations and the President’s healthcare plan have left our economy stagnant and Americans uncertain," Congressman Turner said. "Instead of addressing these issues, President Obama plans to add more regulations, red tape and complicated tax policy into his plan increasing our country’s economic uncertainty."

Mr. Turner was elected to represent New York's 9th Congressional district in the special election to replace Anthony Weiner last year. He rode the Weiner scandal and a wave of Tea Party support to victory in the traditionally Democratic Brooklyn/Queens district and has been a sharp critic of the Obama administration ever since.

The 9th District has a largely Jewish population and Congressman Turner has aggressively courted their votes by loudly advocating support for Israel and a hawkish stance on Iran. In his State of the Union response, Congressman Turner suggested President Obama "glossed over" the dangers posed by Iran.

“The President’s speech about our country’s future glossed over the greatest threat to our nation- a nuclear Iran. Our foreign policy cannot be based on appeasement or discussions with brutal dictators. President Obama absolutely must show the American people and our allies that he is willing to use all resources available to ensure Iran is never able to develop nuclear weapons. From tougher sanctions to military force, all options must be on the table."

Though President Obama did stress his desire to find a "peaceful resolution" to the situation in Iran in the State of the Union speech, he also indicated he would consider a military option.

"Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal," President Obama said. "But a peaceful resolution of this issue is still possible, and far better, and if Iran changes course and meets its obligations, it can rejoin the community of nations."

Congressman Turner finished his statement by urging the president to focus on more than mere rhetoric.

“This is not the time for a victory lap," Congressman Turner said. "This year, the President’s actions must speak louder than his words."

The 2003 State of the Union address. (Photo: Wikipedia)

President Barack Obama's State of the Union address is about an hour away and, once again, lawmakers are choosing bipartisan seatmates for the speech. The Politicker reached out to several of the members of New York's Congressional delegation and found out who they'll be sitting with at tonight's event.

Senator Chuck Schumer will be sitting with the Senate leadership. New York's junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, will be sitting with South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. Senator Gillibrand and Senator Graham went to Afghanistan together in 2010 and have worked together on legislation.

Two of New York's Congressmen, Charlie Rangel and Peter King will be sitting together for the second straight year. In an interview with The Politicker earlier this month, Mr. Rangel said he and Mr. King have enjoyed a close friendship in the past, but he hinted recent impasses in the House have made it difficult for them to socialize like they once did.

Congresswoman Nan Hayworth will be next to Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline. The pair co-chair the bipartisan Common Ground Caucus.

Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens is planning to sit with Michigan Congressman Dave Camp. However, a spokeswoman for Congressman Meeks warned us those arrangements are "subject to change because they're still working out the seating order."

Congressman Bob Turner is sitting with Connecticut Congressman Joe Courtney. They also traveled to Afghanistan together in October.

Congressman Michael Grimm and his frequent television sparring partner, California Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, announced their plans to attend the address together last week. They declined to reveal who asked whom.