Balancing an aggressive mix of second-term priorities, President Obama will use his fifth address to Congress to spotlight a plan for new government initiatives to stimulate the economy and create jobs.
The defining duty of the new Congress and new administration is to "reignite the true engine of America's economic growth -- a rising, thriving middle class," Obama will say, according to excerpts of the speech released by the White House.
"That must be the North Star that guides our efforts," he will say. "Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: How do we attract more jobs to our shores? How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living?"
The State of the Union speech, coming three weeks after Obama laid out a sweeping progressive agenda in his inaugural address, has been billed as the "second act" in the "same play," filling in details on Obama's plans to strengthen the middle class, protect the environment, boost clean energy production and improve the nation's infrastructure.
The president is also expected to renew a call for action on two top policy issues: an overhaul of the nation's immigration system with path to legalization for 11 million undocumented immigrants, and a broad package of policies aimed at curbing gun violence.
"It is our unfinished task to make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, and not just the few; that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation of ours," Obama will say.
In tandem with the economic focus, Obama is also expected to announce the withdrawal of 34,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by this time next year, cutting in half the current force and marking a quickened pace for the final exit of U.S. combat forces by a 2014 deadline, officials said.
There are currently 66,000 U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. Obama has vowed to bring nearly all of them home by the end of next year, though a small contingent will likely remain to train Afghan forces and assist counterterrorism operations, officials have said.
"It's time to begin? focusing on the rest of the world but also focusing on how we rebuild America, how we rebuild the middle class," said senior Obama strategist Dan Pfeiffer ahead of the address.
Obama's deliberative focus on "nation building at home" comes at a critical juncture for the U.S. economy, with unemployment hovering near 8 percent and new government economic forecasts showing sluggish growth through the next year.
Partisan wrangling over federal deficits and debt has raised the possibility that deep, across-the-board spending cuts will take effect March 1 and that the federal government could shutdown at the end of next month without a budget deal. Both could further dampen economic growth and imperil the nation's credit rating, experts say.
Obama is expected to call for compromise through a package of new tax increases and spending cuts, highlighting the human impact of the deeper cuts if they're allowed to go through. Republicans remain opposed to new revenue, insisting it's up to Obama to tackle the drivers of the national debt.
"He doesn't have the courage to take on the liberal side of his own party," House Speaker Boehner said at a breakfast briefing with television correspondents and anchors. "He just doesn't have the courage to lead when it comes to our long-term spending problem."
Many Republicans also pre-emptively buffeted Obama with criticism for a familiar "pivot" back to economic plans that they say have become a "recycled" refrain.
White House officials say Obama's address and the economic plans he will describe reflect consistency and perseverance of message, advocating for fairness and opportunity for the middle class while touting steady economic growth over three years since the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
The president has a plan for "how we make America a magnet for good jobs, how to ensure that American workers have the skills that they need, and how we ensure that those who work hard can earn a decent living in our country," said Pfeiffer.
Administration officials said each of the president's spending proposals would be offset by savings carved out in the budget, thereby not adding to the deficit.
"Nothing I'm proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime," Obama plans to say. "It's not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth."
There were signs of bipartisanship ahead of the annual Washington ritual. The "date night" approach of recent years, with many members crossing the aisle to sit with a colleague of the opposing party, has given way to two coalitions of Republicans and Democrats seeking compromise.
More than 40 members pledged to wear orange lapel pins branded with "problem solvers," showing a commitment to "substantive cooperation" in the new Congress, according to the group coordinating the effort. Dozens of other members planned to wear green and silver ribbons -- the colors of Sandy Hook Elementary School -- to show solidarity with victims of gun violence and support for new gun control measures. The effort was led by Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin of Rhode Island.
Obama will waste little time building a public campaign for his agenda. Immediately following the address, he hosts a live conference call with supporters of his new outside advocacy group, Organizing for Action.
The president hits the road Wednesday morning to highlight key proposals from the speech. He will visit an auto parts manufacturer in North Carolina to promote new incentives for hiring; an Atlanta community center to talk about job skills training; and a Chicago-area school to discuss gun violence and education.
