Obama’s Final State of the Union Set for Jan. 12

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U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address on January 20, 2015 in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Obama was expected to lay out a broad agenda to address income inequality, making it easier for Americans to afford college education, and child care.
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union address on January 20, 2015 in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. Obama was expected to lay out a broad agenda to address income inequality, making it easier for Americans to afford college education, and child care.Pool—Getty Images
By Ryan Teague Beckwith

President Obama will deliver his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

The timing was announced by newly installed Speaker Paul Ryan, who will host the president’s speech. It will be the 10th time Obama has addressed a joint session of Congress and his seventh State of the Union. (His first, 2009 address is not considered a State of the Union address.)

“As we look ahead to the new year, we have both an opportunity and an obligation to find common ground to advance the nation’s interests at home and abroad,” wrote Ryan in his invitation to Obama. “We also owe it to the American people to present solutions that address the challenges they face. In that spirit, it is my honor to invite you to deliver your State of the Union address.”

The speech is unlikely to change many minds in Congress, where both chambers are controlled by Republicans. Television viewership was also down during Obama’s last State of the Union, although there is typically high interest on social media.

Obama will likely use the opportunity to highlight several areas of disagreement between congressional Republicans in Congress and his Administration as the speech comes just two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, which will kick off the presidential election season.

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