President Obama is touting 2014 as a “breakthrough year” and painting a positive economic outlook over the next 12 months in his annual economic report to Congress.
“America is poised for another good year, as long as Washington works to keep this progress going,” Obama wrote in the report, released on Thursday.
Obama hit on many points of his economic agenda, including increasing the child tax credit, pushing for paid sick leave and maternity leave, raising the minimum wage, offering free two-year community college tuition and focusing on high-skilled jobs through better infrastructure and science and technology investments.
{mosads}He also argued that the trade deals his administration is pushing for in the Atlantic and Pacific would help U.S. businesses by opening up new markets, and called for Congress to reform the tax code and “broken immigration system.”
Republicans, who hold a majority in both the House and Senate, have criticized Obama’s policies as increasing the size of government and increasing taxes.
Obama highlighted an improved job rate in the report, as well as the lowest unemployment rate since he took office; 10 million U.S. citizens having health insurance; and America’s position atop the field of developed countries for oil, gas and wind power production.
“Over the past six years, America has risen from recession freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth. A new foundation is laid. A new future is ready to be written. It’s up to all of us — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — to write it together,” Obama wrote.