Media

Washington Post - Sean Sullivan

President Obama's not-so-subtle reminder in his State of the Union address that he won both of his elections for president earned him a fresh round of animosity from congressional Republicans, and threatened to exacerbate an already tense relationship.

Obama's line, which quickly became the most talked-about part of his speech, isn't going to do him any favors in the the GOP-controlled Congress, Republican lawmakers said.

The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel

President Barack Obama challenged Congress on Tuesday to leverage the nation’s relative economic strength into a future that promised more opportunities and financial rewards for the middle class.

“Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well?” the president asked in his State of the Union speech. “Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?”

New York Times - Jeremy Peters and Emmarie Huetteman

“No” seems to be all anyone wants to say in this town anymore. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Obama enumerated policies that he opposed, from rolling back Wall Street regulations to exempting more businesses from their obligation to provide health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The Oklahoman - Chris Casteel

Members of the U.S. House and Senate from Oklahoma responded Tuesday to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. All seven members of Oklahoma’s congressional delegation are Republicans.

Washington Examiner - Sean Lengell

The Republican Party toned down partisan rhetoric in its official response to the President Obama’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night, focusing on the party’s plans and ideals instead of directly responding to the administration’s agenda.

Newly elected Sen. Joni Ernst, a no-nonsense conservative from Iowa who delivered the rebuttal, portrayed a compassionate GOP that understands — and will address — the concerns, anxieties and pains of average Americans.

At the end of last year and ahead of the 114th Congress, lawmakers in both chambers voted to fund the government and avert another painful and unnecessary shutdown. While the legislation funded nearly all areas of government through the end of the fiscal year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was only funded through February. This legislative strategy was enacted to allow the new majority in both chambers the opportunity to address the president’s unconstitutional executive order related to immigration and rightly block funding for its implementation.