braiker - In case you missed it: A comprehensive list of Obama's SOTU proposals

January 25, 2012

In case you missed it: A comprehensive list of Obama's SOTU proposals

Tax code
• To prevent businesses from getting out of paying their fair share of taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas, every multinational company should have to pay a basic minimum tax from now on. “And every penny should go towards lowering taxes for companies that choose to stay here and hire here,” Obama said.
• “If you’re an American manufacturer, you should get a bigger tax cut. If you’re a high-tech manufacturer, we should double the tax deduction you get for making products here. And if you want to relocate in a community that was hit hard when a factory left town, you should get help financing a new plant, equipment, or training for new workers.”

Trade Enforcement Unit
• Obama announced the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit that will be charged with investigating unfair trade practices in countries like China. “There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit or unsafe goods from crossing our borders,” he said. “And this Congress should make sure that no foreign company has an advantage over American manufacturing when it comes to accessing financing or new markets like Russia.”

Job creation
• Obama announced a national commitment to train two million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job.

Education
• Obama demanded every state require that all students stay in high school until they either graduate or turn 18.
• The president called for an extension of the tuition tax credit that is meant to save middle-class families tuition dollars. The president also called for a doubling of the number of work-study jobs in the next five years.
• To colleges and universities, Obama pledged, “If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down.”