Senate Democrats' SOTU Talking Points

The Atlantic has obtained some talking points circulated to Senate Democrats ahead of tonight's State of the Union address. See the memo below; know what Senate Dems are saying before they even say it.

To: Interested Parties
From: Senate Democratic Communications Center
Re: Talking Points: The President and Congress Looking Toward a Year of New Challenges

The American people await the President's annual State of the Union address tonight.  The President will lay out his plan for keeping America on a path to a more secure, stable and prosperous future.  The Senate will remain aggressive in trying to deliver the change that the American people sent us to Washington to do.

THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS LOOKING TOWARD A YEAR OF NEW CHALLENGES

·         Tonight, the President will share his thoughts on where we stand one year into his administration and where we're headed.

o   We expect the President will talk about the important work he has undertaken to rescue, rebuild and restore America.

o   He'll also help set the table for how we'll continue to move America forward together.

·         In the Senate, we look back on the beginning of the 111th Congress as a time of great challenges.

·         Last year was a year of necessity - we made critical decisions to correct the mistakes of the past and set America on the right track.

o   We're encouraged by the progress made but far from satisfied because we know that too many American families still lack the security and stability that they need and deserve.

·         Every day, all of us hear from so many Americans struggling to find work, facing bankruptcy because of rising health care costs and worrying about how they are going to keep their homes. 

·         With so many Americans angry, frustrated and anxious about the state of the economy, 2010 needs to be a year of action.

·         We will finish the job that we were sent here to do.  

The American People Demand Accountability from 'The Party of No'

·         Senate Democrats have made their goals clear to the American people - we are about strengthening our economy, creating good paying jobs and ensuring all Americans can access affordable health care.

·         We understand the anger, anxiety and frustration among American families as the economy continues its recovery.

·         We have made progress, but we know that much work lies ahead of us.

·         The American people are still waiting to find out where Republicans stand on the important issues.

·         On Meet the Press this weekend, the Senate Republican leader was asked what his caucus planned to support in a bipartisan manner.  His answer - or lack thereof - prompted the moderator to claim, "So it sounds like the party of no charge is well deserved."   

·         So far, all we know about the Republican plan is that they side with health insurers over patients, they want to take it easy on Wall Street - even at the expense of Main Street and they're content to sit on the sidelines and obstruct progress as the American people struggle.

·         The American people, now more than ever, will hold them accountable if they decide to continue sitting on their hands and doing nothing.

Republican Hypocrisy on Debt Limit Puts Our Economy, Seniors and Veterans at Risk

·    Republicans have their first opportunity to show whether they are willing to join Democrats to find solutions for our shared problems.

·    Failing to raise the debt limit would undermine our nation's creditworthiness, badly weaken our economy and put Social Security and veterans' benefits at risk.

·    In 2001, America enjoyed a $236 billion budget surplus with a projected 10-year surplus of $5.6 trillion.

o  Republicans squandered those surpluses by spending wildly on massive tax breaks for the wealthy and special interests, leaving President Obama with a $1.3 trillion deficit on the day he took office last year. 

·    Now, as the time comes to take responsibility for those mistakes, Senate Republicans want to pass the buck. 

·    Senate Democrats want to clean up this fiscal mess, inherited from the last Administration, in order to avoid the economic catastrophe that would be created if the United States defaulted on our debt. 

·    When they were in control, Republicans voted seven times to raise the debt limit and refused to pay for the costs of major initiatives. 

o  Their claims of fiscal purity do not square with their record of wasteful spending and excess.   

·    In addition, increasing the debt limit does not authorize a single penny of new spending - it allows the government to pay bills already incurred.

·         Standing against this measure would demonstrate yet again that Senate Republicans have no real plan to solve our nation's economic challenges, which they helped create.

·         Republicans have a responsibility to work with us to move our nation forward with economic policies that keep us on the path to recovery.