2015 State of the Union address to Congress, plus the Republican Responses: Jan. 20, 2015

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Barack Obama: Teen pregnancies and abortions are nearing all-time lows.     Joni Ernst: Protecting most vulnerable is important measure of society.

Budget & Economy     Barack Obama: Should economy benefit the few, or everyone?     Jill Stein: We are in state of emergency; not state of recovery.     Joni Ernst: Sting of economy was felt over the last 6 years.     Rand Paul: We borrow $1M per minute; mandate a balanced budget.

Civil Rights     Barack Obama: It's right to condemn the persecution of LGBT people.     Curt Clawson: Promise equal opportunity, not equal outcomes.

Corporations     Barack Obama: Close loopholes that let top 1% avoid paying taxes.     Rand Paul: No safety net cuts until corporate welfare is all cut.

Crime     Barack Obama: Crime rate and incarceration rate have come down together.

Drugs     Libertarian Party: De-fund war on drugs, and end violent drug cartels.

Education     Arvin Vohra: Cut back Common Core and the Department of Education.     Barack Obama: Lower the cost of community college to zero.     Libertarian Party: Make college affordable by ending subsidies and mandates.     Libertarian Party: Cut back Common Core and the Department of Education.

Energy & Oil     Barack Obama: 14 warmest years on record occurred in last 15 years.     Barack Obama: China has agreed with US; rest of world will now follow.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: US Is biggest oil & gas producer, but privately.     Curt Clawson: Keystone XL pipeline must be completed.     Joni Ernst: Keystone Jobs Bill: many jobs; minimal environmental impact.

Families & Children     Barack Obama: Families aren't looking for handouts, but for a fair shot.     Barack Obama: Childcare is an economic priority; not a side-issue.

Foreign Policy     Barack Obama: Don't let our fears blind us to opportunity.     Barack Obama: Russia is in tatters because of our steady resolve.     Barack Obama: Cuba: When something doesn't work for 50 years, change it.     Carlos Curbelo: Cuba & Iran: no unearned concessions to cruel dictatorships.     John Bolton: America's biggest threat is self-induced weakness.     Libertarian Party: End foreign military operations; shut down foreign bases.

Free Trade     Barack Obama: 21st century businesses need to sell more overseas.     Joni Ernst: Tear down trade barriers in Europe & the Pacific.

Government Reform     Barack Obama: Right to vote is sacred & is being denied to too many.     Rand Paul: Term limits would infuse Congress with new ideas.

Health Care     Barack Obama: ObamaCare didn't crush jobs nor explode deficits.     Barack Obama: Ebola teaches us how to prevent future pandemics.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, 10 million newly insured last year.     Curt Clawson: Lift the economic shackles of ObamaCare.     Joni Ernst: Failed mindset gave us policies like ObamaCare.     Libertarian Party: Repeal ObamaCare and don't replace it with RomneyCare.     Rand Paul: Compassion cannot be delivered in the form of coercion.

Homeland Security     Arvin Vohra: Intelligently rethink overall military spending.     Barack Obama: Finish the job: it's time to close Gitmo.     Libertarian Party: Intelligently rethink overall military spending.     Rand Paul: We've over-militarized our foreign policy.     Rand Paul: Military should be second to none; so audit the Pentagon.

Immigration     Carlos Curbelo: Modernize legal immigration: no official English.     Curt Clawson: The law must be followed, but our house is your house.

Jobs     Arvin Vohra: Eliminate minimum wage so entry level jobs available to all.     Barack Obama: Best employment growth since 1999; the crisis is past.     Barack Obama: Help families with more paid leave & higher minimum wage.     Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, unemployment down; but many stopped looking.     Curt Clawson: Undocumented immigrants cause 10 million unemployed.     Libertarian Party: Eliminate the minimum wage in every state.     Libertarian Party: Eliminate minimum wage so entry level jobs available to all.

Principles & Values     Rand Paul: Politicians should apply medical oath: "First, do no harm".

Technology     Barack Obama: Precision Medicine Initiative: cures via personalized info.     Barack Obama: Out to space not just to visit; but to stay.     Barack Obama: Better meet the threat of cyberattacks.     Libertarian Party: Repeal the PATRIOT Act and end the surveillance state.

War & Peace     Barack Obama: I will veto any new sanctions against Iran.     Barack Obama: Authorize the use of force against ISIL.     Jill Stein: ISIS grows out of chaos that we created in Iraq.     John Bolton: ISIS, despite a few airstrikes, is alive & well.     Joni Ernst: Comprehensive plan to defeat ISIL and al Qaeda.

Welfare & Poverty     Rand Paul: Federal "gifts" don't generate wealth but perpetuate poverty.     Rand Paul: Be aware of those who are missing out on American Dream.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Arvin Vohra Barack Obama Carlos Curbelo Curt Clawson Jill Stein John Bolton Joni Ernst Libertarian Party Rand Paul