Democrats, Economy
By Beth Fouhy
A confident, often feisty President Barack Obama claimed credit for the improving economy in his State of the Union address Tuesday, chiding Republicans -- who won sweeping victories in the 2014 midterm elections -- to follow his lead in enacting policies to help the middle class. While pledging pragmatic steps that lawmakers of both parties could embrace, he vowed to push for an agenda to empower Main Street so that prosperity wouldn't be limited to "a few of us who do spectacularly well."It was a noteworthy declaration for Obama, who has often shied from the populist rhetoric animating the Democratic Party's progressive wing. The president's plans have already drawn complaints from some Republicans, who call it class warfare. But Obama remained undeterred, telling lawmakers he would press for legislation to provide paid sick leave and challenging them to raise the minimum wage."To everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it," Obama said to applause. "If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise."
