WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama this week will test whether he still has the sway to keep Washington focused on his own priorities, even as a new Republican-run Congress descends on the Capitol eager to take him on.
Fresh off a two-week vacation in Hawaii, Obama immediately began ramping up for his State of the Union address. It’s his best chance to set the agenda for 2015 on his own terms.
The White House says Obama will roll out new executive steps and proposals for Congress this week on home ownership, higher education and manufacturing jobs.
Republicans have an entirely different blueprint for 2015. They’re in full control of Congress for the first time of Obama’s presidency and are planning an all-out offensive against his policies on immigration, foreign policy and the environment.