DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement following President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union Address:

“Tonight, the President spoke directly to Congress and the American people about his plan to create jobs and strengthen our economy for both the middle class and those still working hard to get there. As President Obama has emphasized from day one, a thriving middle class has always been the key ingredient to our economic growth – and continuing to make that growth possible is the defining challenge of our time. That’s exactly why the President’s plan grows our economy from the middle out by making smart investments in American manufacturing, infrastructure, clean energy, and a quality education that provides every American with the skills they need to succeed in the jobs of today and tomorrow. It’s a plan that is completely paid for and won’t add a penny to the deficit, while ensuring that those who work hard can earn a decent living.

“At the same time, the President continued to urge Congress to take action that will reduce our debt and deficits and address looming fiscal deadlines, while laying out his vision to keep bringing down the deficit in a balanced fashion—one that does not require America’s seniors and middle-class families to shoulder the entire burden. He also renewed his calls on Congress to take swift action to protect our children and communities by reducing gun violence, and to fix our broken immigration system to make certain that everyone plays by the same rules and that we are attracting the best and brightest workers from all across the globe. Finally, the President announced the formation of a bipartisan presidential voting commission—a proposal I wholeheartedly endorse—that will focus on addressing the setbacks that far too many Americans have faced in trying to exercise their fundamental right to vote. That includes Americans like Desiline Victor, a 102-year-old woman from my home state of Florida who attended tonight’s address and who just last year spent hours waiting in line at her polling place to make her voice heard.

“As President Obama stressed in tonight’s address, our path forward includes a number of commonsense proposals that have already earned support from both sides of the aisle. And while our leaders in Congress will not always be able to agree on a given issue, one fact remains: where common ground exists, the American people expect them to take action. That is precisely why we must heed the President’s call and come together to move our country forward."

THEN:

Rubio In 2011 on social programs like Medicare: “That was a vision crafted in the twentieth century by our leaders and though it was well intentioned, it was doomed to fail from the start. It was doomed to fail from the start first and foremost because it forgot that the strength of our nation begins with its people and that these programs actually weakened us as a people. You see, almost in forever, it was institutions and society that assumed the role of taking care of one another. If someone was sick in your family, you took care of them. If a neighbor met misfortune, you took care of them. You saved for your retirement and your future because you had to ... All of the sudden, for an increasing number of people in our nation, it was no longer necessary to worry about saving for security because that was the government’s job. For those who met misfortune, that wasn’t our obligation to take care of them, that was the government’s job.” [Rubio Speech at the Reagan Presidential Library, 8/23/11]

NOW:

Tonight, Rubio is expected to say: “One of these programs, Medicare, is especially important to me. It provided my father the care he needed to battle cancer and ultimately die with dignity. And it pays for the care my mother receives now. I would never support any changes to Medicare that would hurt seniors like my mother. But anyone who is in favor of leaving Medicare exactly the way it is right now, is in favor of bankrupting it.”

Tomorrow night, President Obama will lay out a clear vision for the year ahead: a vision to boost our economic recovery by investing in infrastructure, strengthening our education system, honoring our commitments to America's seniors, and finding balanced solutions to our budgetary challenges.

We'll also hear from Sen. Marco Rubio, who will deliver the Republican Party's State of the Union response. Even though the American people overwhelmingly rejected the Republican platform this past fall, it's a safe bet that Rubio will offer State of the Union viewers more of the same failed ideas that wrecked our economy: a plan that would dismantle the social safety net to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. After all, Sen. Rubio voted for the Ryan budget that would end Medicare as we know it and jeopardize the benefits, quality of care, and coverage for the more than 60 million Americans who rely on Medicaid.

"The Republican Party clearly hasn't learned anything from last November's election," says our chair, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a member of the House Budget Committee. "The American people rejected the Romney-Ryan ticket because they offered nothing to middle-class families."

Sen. Rubio is also likely to address sequestration, a series of deep, indiscriminate spending cuts across critical federal programs. But he probably won't mention this: Even though Republicans brought on the sequester after holding our economy hostage over the debt ceiling in 2011, and even though they've agreed that allowing these cuts would damage our economy, Republicans are unwilling to reach across the aisle and work to prevent it. President Obama and House Democrats have offered a balanced plan to save American jobs and replace the sequester for a year, but Republicans refuse to reach a deal that would ask the wealthy to pay a little more to get our fiscal house in order. Instead, they're pushing a partisan plan that we know will not create jobs or reduce the deficit.

"We cannot solve our budget problems solely on the backs of the middle class by slashing spending on health and retirement security, social safety net programs, important federal services, and critical investments," says Rep. Van Hollen. "There is no reason why thousands of Americans should lose their job because of petty partisanship here in Washington. It's time for Sen. Rubio and Republicans to step up and work with President Obama and congressional Democrats to avoid the sequester and find real solutions to our long-term budget challenges."

What we need are new ideas, new solutions, and a balanced approach to strengthening our economy and getting our fiscal house in order—but you won't hear that from Sen. Rubio and the Republicans tomorrow night.

Tomorrow, President Obama will walk into the chamber of the House of Representatives, and in the presence of members of Congress, the Cabinet, and Supreme Court justices, deliver his State of the Union address.

The annual address has changed formats over the course of American history, but its basis is formed in one line of the Constitution. Article II, Section 3, Clause 1, states that the president “shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” In the absence of more specific instructions, our nation’s presidents have interpreted the Founding Fathers’ charge in different ways.

President Washington delivered the first State of the Union address from Federal Hall in New York City in January 1790 (though it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who first called it the “State of the Union address” in 1945). Washington praised the accomplishments of the 1st Congress and outlined a legislative agenda for the new year: improving the army, building post roads, and developing standard systems of currency, weights, and measures.

President Jefferson didn’t like the idea of delivering a grand speech—it seemed too “royal” to him—so instead he wrote his annual messages and sent them down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, where a congressional clerk read them aloud each year. The Presidents who followed Jefferson kept up the tradition, and for more than a hundred years, the State of the Union was delivered on paper only. The public could read them in the newspaper.

It wasn’t until President Wilson in 1913 that the State of the Union became a formal address again (though in the years since, 22 State of the Unions have come in written form, the most recent being in 1989). President Coolidge delivered the first radio State of the Union address in 1923, and President Truman delivered the first on television in 1947. It was President Lyndon B. Johnson who moved the address from the daytime to a primetime television slot in 1965 to garner a larger audience to hear his plans for civil rights reforms and the Great Society. President George W. Bush’s 2002 address was the first to be streamed live on the White House website.

So what can you expect to see on Tuesday? The address will begin after the House’s sergeant-at-arms announces the President, who will enter the chamber to a standing ovation. Flanked by Vice President Biden and Speaker Boehner, the President will address the nation directly. He’ll lay out his domestic and foreign-policy vision for the upcoming year. Afterward, a member of the Republican Party—this year, Sen. Marco Rubio—will deliver that party’s televised response.

As is tradition, one member of the Cabinet won’t be in attendance—he or she will be watching from a secure location instead. With the President, Vice President, speaker, and other prominent members of government gathered in one room, in the unlikely event of a catastrophe, the “designated survivor” will ensure continuity of government.

Be sure to watch President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. ET on TV or via the enhanced White House live stream.

February 7 is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, a mobilization initiative targeting African Americans in the United States. On this day, we must remember the people we have lost to this disease and commit ourselves to empowering our community through education and treatment. It is also a day to pay tribute to the survivors and to those fighting every day to end the epidemic. Like millions of Americans, I’ve been personally affected, losing friends and loved ones. This epidemic has hit the African American community particularly hard, with African Americans accounting for more than half of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses.

In 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, which bars insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more for anyone who has a pre-existing condition, like HIV/AIDS. In 2014, the Affordable Care Act will ensure that Medicaid coverage is available to all low-income Americans. As a result, low-income adults living with HIV will no longer have to wait for an AIDS diagnosis to become eligible for coverage. The Affordable Care Act also gradually closes the gap in Medicare’s prescription drug benefits, giving people with Medicare who live with HIV/AIDS more resources to pay for life-saving medications. President Obama and Democrats are committed to increasing access to care and improving health care outcomes for those living with HIV/AIDS.

All of these measures will make a huge difference, but we must stand together and get involved in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS. Testing is at the core of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. Today and every day, help spread the world about HIV prevention, and more important, know your status. Share information with friends and family to get educated on the facts, get tested, and get involved in combatting this epidemic.

Find out more about the National HIV/AIDS Strategy here.

Yesterday, President Obama called on all of us to play our part in reducing gun violence across the country. Here's something you can do right now: Sign our petition asking Congress to act quickly and pass legislation that will make our communities safer. Read the email with the details that our executive director, Patrick Gaspard, just sent to Democrats—then add your name. 

Friend --

Yesterday in Minneapolis, President Obama told the American people that it's time to take some basic commonsense steps to reduce gun violence.

It's up to Congress to take the next step and pass legislation -- but first, we have to let them know that Americans demand they act quickly.

If you stand with the President, add your name to this petition telling Congress to act swiftly to pass legislation to reduce gun violence:

http://my.democrats.org/Reduce-Gun-Violence

Thanks,

Patrick

Patrick Gaspard
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee

DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement today marking the 20th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for their family members without fear of losing their jobs:

“When the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act was signed into law by President Clinton 20 years ago, our nation made a commitment to its workers that they should not have to choose between earning a living and caring for their loved ones when they need it most. In the two decades that have passed, the FMLA has helped millions of hardworking families balance the competing demands of work and family, and it has been particularly important for women, who have faced a long history of discrimination in the workplace.

“We are proud of the steps the Obama Administration has taken to expand FMLA’s protections to cover military families and airline workers. Still, we know there is more to be done. We must ensure that all employees are covered by this law and that we have an economy that moves all working families forward – one where every American can afford to take unpaid leave if needed. Today, as we celebrate this important anniversary, let us recommit ourselves to achieving those goals and continuing to move our country forward for all hardworking Americans.”

Following yesterday's announcement by New Jersey State Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono that she will be running for Governor, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

"Barbara Buono is the right choice to move New Jersey's middle-class families and small businesses forward from the failed policies of the past. As a powerful, independent voice who has always put everyday Garden Staters first, she has both the experience and the toughness needed to turn New Jersey's economy around and get the state back on track. I am proud to see Barbara announce that she will be running to bring real leadership to the Garden State -- because that is exactly what the state needs."

In recognition of Black History Month, which begins today, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

“As we mark the celebration of Black History Month and honor the many contributions that African Americans have made to our country over the years, it is important to recognize how far we have come, while also taking stock of the work we must still do to ensure justice for all. 150 years since the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, and 50 years since so many courageous civil rights leaders organized the historic March on Washington, we have expanded access to the ballot box, secured quality, affordable health care for millions of Americans across the country; and championed equality at all levels. However, there are still many more steps we must take on the path toward progress.

“Throughout Black History Month, we must recommit ourselves to fighting partisan attacks to disenfranchise voters, striving to reduce income and health disparities that impact the African American community, continuing to invest in education, and building a 21st century economy so that everyone—regardless of race or class—has a genuine chance to achieve the American dream.”

In 2012, the Republican Party led a coordinated campaign to disenfranchise millions of voters through burdensome voter ID laws and shortened early voting periods—with the express purpose of sending Mitt Romney to the White House.

They failed. Republicans lost their battle to suppress the vote in our nation's courts, and they lost on the issues at the ballot box, as African Americans, Latinos, and young voters turned out in record numbers. But instead of learning the lessons of 2012 and working to appeal to our growing electorate, Republicans are fixated on finding new ways to undermine the majority of voters and keep another Democrat from winning in 2016.

Their philosophy is simple: "If you can't beat 'em, rig the game."

Tomorrow in Virginia—where President Obama won decisively in 2012—a state Senate committee will vote on a bill that would rig the 2016 election in favor of Republican candidates by changing how the Electoral College appropriates votes.

Currently in Virginia, Electoral College votes are allocated on a winner-take-all basis. But Republicans want them allocated by congressional district—ensuring their heavily gerrymandered Republican districts will deliver for the Republican candidate in the next presidential election.

If this scheme had been in place in 2012, President Obama would have won only four out of 13 electoral votes in Virginia—even though he received 140,000 more votes from Virginia voters than Romney did.

It's too extreme even for Virginia's Bob McDonnell, one of the most far-right governors in the country. A spokesman for McDonnell said last week, "The governor does not support this legislation. He believes Virginia's existing system works just fine as it is."

But another Tea Party governor, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, thinks election rigging is an "interesting" idea—something "worth looking at."

This is only the beginning. Virginia and Wisconsin are just the first of several states President Obama won in 2012 whose Republican governors and legislatures are considering rigging their Electoral College votes in favor of the GOP. And the head of the party, Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus, has endorsed the plan, saying, "I think it's something that a lot of states that have been consistently blue that are fully controlled red ought to be looking at."

But if we learned anything in 2012, it's that the American people will not stand by and watch Republican politicians manipulate our electoral process and trample on our hard-won voting rights. We'll fight to make our voices heard and our ballots counted—and oppose any and all attempts to rig our electoral process.

For more information on the Republican-sponsored efforts to rig the next presidential election, sign up for updates from the Democratic Party.

Last week, we inaugurated a president. It's easy to see an inauguration as the culmination of a long-fought campaign, but as our chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, reminded supporters in an email today, we still have a lot to do. From tackling climate to working for LGBT equality, the next four years will be busy.

Read the chair's email below, then chip in what you can to make sure it's a productive term.

Friend --

Watching President Obama take the oath of office last Monday was an incredible reward for all of the time and energy that you and millions of other Democrats put in throughout the election. And when I looked out at the sea of supporters who braved the cold to watch the President's inauguration, I was reminded that in you we have the support we need to make incredible change over the next four years.

Since I became Chair of the Democratic Party two years ago, my motto has been "no one will outwork us." And although we're still celebrating our incredible victories in 2012, it's time for us to get back to work.

President Obama has outlined an ambitious plan for his second term, including tackling climate change, working for full equality for LGBT Americans, and making sure that all Americans, no matter where they come from or who their parents are, have an equal shot. And it's up to us to fight for Democrats and make sure that that agenda becomes law.

Donate $5 or more now to make sure we have the resources to fulfill our duty to our country, ourselves, and the millions of Americans whose lives will change for the better:

https://my.democrats.org/Back-to-Work

Let's do this,

Debbie

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee

Yesterday President Obama and Defense Secretary Panetta made history when they announced that at long last, more military positions, including ground combat units, will be opened to women.

This is a major recognition, not only of all the women who are currently serving overseas, but of all the women who have ever worn our country's uniform. For me, that's personal.

The terrorist attacks on September 11th were a defining event for my generation—and a defining event in my own life. While serving in the Hawaii legislature, I enlisted in the Hawaii National Guard in 2003, training in medical logistics and operations. When I learned in 2004 that the 29th Brigade Combat Team, an incredible group with whom I had trained, sacrificed, and bonded, were being deployed to Iraq, it didn't take long to realize that I couldn't stay home and watch my brothers and sisters in uniform march off to combat without me. I stepped away from public office and volunteered to deploy to Iraq with my comrades. I've now deployed to the Middle East twice, graduated with distinguished honors from Officer Candidate School, and in 2011, as a captain in Hawaii's National Guard, served as company commander responsible for more than 75 soldiers.

It has been an honor to serve my country as a soldier. Now it is my honor to serve with Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a fellow Iraq War veteran who was disabled in combat, as the first female combat veterans ever elected to Congress. I'm grateful to be in a position to share my story and the stories of my female comrades.

I think about women like Leigh Ann Hester, a military police sergeant who served in Iraq and became the first woman since World War II to earn a Silver Star. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her male counterparts, in 2005 Sergeant Hester led her squad of MPs against a very hot insurgent attack in Iraq. They flanked the enemy, assaulted and took two trenches, and in the end, saved American lives.

Stories like Sergeant Hester's, Rep. Duckworth's, and mine are not exceptional. For more than two centuries, women have served our country patriotically and courageously. Nearly 2 million women have enlisted in the United States military, and more than 150 women made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The women I've served with are real patriots who've shown great heroism under duress and chosen to put their lives on the line for our country. Like our male counterparts, we just want to serve in the best way we can. For some of us, that means combat. Not every female soldier will make that choice, but the point is, we can.

Our military is the very best in the world. We are trained professionals who adapt and overcome, no matter the circumstances. Whether we're in training, or in combat, we share an unbreakable bond as comrades-in-arms, brothers and sisters, working as one team with one mission: serving our great country. This change in policy will only make us stronger.

As President Obama noted yesterday, "valor knows no gender." And that is something we can all salute.

Yesterday President Obama and Defense Secretary Panetta made history when they announced that at long last, more military positions, including ground combat units, will be opened to women.

This is a major recognition, not only of all the women who are currently serving overseas, but of all the women who have ever worn our country's uniform. For me, that's personal.

The terrorist attacks on September 11th were a defining event for my generation—and a defining event in my own life. While serving in the Hawaii legislature, I enlisted in the Hawaii National Guard in 2003, training in medical logistics and operations. When I learned in 2004 that the 29th Brigade Combat Team, an incredible group with whom I had trained, sacrificed, and bonded, were being deployed to Iraq, it didn't take long to realize that I couldn't stay home and watch my brothers and sisters in uniform march off to combat without me. I stepped away from public office and volunteered to deploy to Iraq with my comrades. I've now deployed to the Middle East twice, graduated with distinguished honors from Officer Candidate School, and in 2011, as a captain in Hawaii's National Guard, served as company commander responsible for more than 75 soldiers.

It has been an honor to serve my country as a soldier. Now it is my honor to serve with Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a fellow Iraq War veteran who was disabled in combat, as the first female combat veterans ever elected to Congress. I'm grateful to be in a position to share my story and the stories of my female comrades.

I think about women like Leigh Ann Hester, a military police sergeant who served in Iraq and became the first woman since World War II to earn a Silver Star. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her male counterparts, in 2005 Sergeant Hester led her squad of MPs against a very hot insurgent attack in Iraq. They flanked the enemy, assaulted and took two trenches, and in the end, saved American lives.

Stories like Sergeant Hester's, Rep. Duckworth's, and mine are not exceptional. For more than two centuries, women have served our country patriotically and courageously. Nearly 2 million women have enlisted in the United States military, and more than 150 women made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The women I've served with are real patriots who've shown great heroism under duress and chosen to put their lives on the line for our country. Like our male counterparts, we just want to serve in the best way we can. For some of us, that means combat. Not every female soldier will make that choice, but the point is, we can.

Our military is the very best in the world. We are trained professionals who adapt and overcome, no matter the circumstances. Whether we're in training, or in combat, we share an unbreakable bond as comrades-in-arms, brothers and sisters, working as one team with one mission: serving our great country. This change in policy will only make us stronger.

As President Obama noted yesterday, "valor knows no gender." And that is something we can all salute.

Yesterday President Obama and Defense Secretary Panetta made history when they announced that at long last, more military positions, including ground combat units, will be opened to women.

This is a major recognition, not only of all the women who are currently serving overseas, but of all the women who have ever worn our country's uniform. For me, that's personal.

The terrorist attacks on September 11th were a defining event for my generation—and a defining event in my own life. While serving in the Hawaii legislature, I enlisted in the Hawaii National Guard in 2003, training in medical logistics and operations. When I learned in 2004 that the 29th Brigade Combat Team, an incredible group with whom I had trained, sacrificed, and bonded, were being deployed to Iraq, it didn't take long to realize that I couldn't stay home and watch my brothers and sisters in uniform march off to combat without me. I stepped away from public office and volunteered to deploy to Iraq with my comrades. I've now deployed to the Middle East twice, graduated with distinguished honors from Officer Candidate School, and in 2011, as a captain in Hawaii's National Guard, served as company commander responsible for more than 75 soldiers.

It has been an honor to serve my country as a soldier. Now it is my honor to serve with Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a fellow Iraq War veteran who was disabled in combat, as the first female combat veterans ever elected to Congress. I'm grateful to be in a position to share my story and the stories of my female comrades.

I think about women like Leigh Ann Hester, a military police sergeant who served in Iraq and became the first woman since World War II to earn a Silver Star. Standing shoulder to shoulder with her male counterparts, in 2005 Sergeant Hester led her squad of MPs against a very hot insurgent attack in Iraq. They flanked the enemy, assaulted and took two trenches, and in the end, saved American lives.

Stories like Sergeant Hester's, Rep. Duckworth's, and mine are not exceptional. For more than two centuries, women have served our country patriotically and courageously. Nearly 2 million women have enlisted in the United States military, and more than 150 women made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The women I've served with are real patriots who've shown great heroism under duress and chosen to put their lives on the line for our country. Like our male counterparts, we just want to serve in the best way we can. For some of us, that means combat. Not every female soldier will make that choice, but the point is, we can.

Our military is the very best in the world. We are trained professionals who adapt and overcome, no matter the circumstances. Whether we're in training, or in combat, we share an unbreakable bond as comrades-in-arms, brothers and sisters, working as one team with one mission: serving our great country. This change in policy will only make us stronger.

As President Obama noted yesterday, "valor knows no gender." And that is something we can all salute.