State of the Union 2014

[Go Skins]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/28/politics/2014-state-of-the-union/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

 

Washington (CNN) -- The year of action. That's what 2014 is all about for President Barack Obama, and it is the underlying theme of Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

"Let's make this a year of action," Obama will say, according to excerpts released in advance by the White House. "That's what most Americans want -- for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations."

It's an optimistic goal for a President with a 43% approval rating entering his sixth year in office and facing a determined opposition otherwise known as the House of Representatives.

 

He will make an impassioned plea for comprehensive immigration reform, according to a source familiar with the speech. The President will not attack House Republicans for failing to act on the issue, but instead will make an argument for why it makes good economic sense, the source told CNN on condition of not being identified.

Separately, the President is also expected to unveil a proposal for a new type of account that allows Americans to save for retirement. Details of the plan were not immediately available.

Additionally, working women and their struggles will form a key part of the address, underscoring the important role women play both in Obama's domestic agenda and his party's hopes for this year's midterm elections.

Understanding the reality and the challenges before him, Obama plans to accomplish parts of his agenda without Congress.

"What I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class," he will say, according to the excerpts.

"Some require congressional action, and I'm eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still, and neither will I, so wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do," Obama will say.