Send Arne Duncan to Mars!: A State of the Union wish list for liberals
We asked left-of-center groups what they hope to hear in the president's speech tonight. Here are the best replies
President Obama’s address tonight will be closely watched by advocates on a wide range of issues, including some progressives who’ve been less than satisfied with the ways Obama has wielded presidential authority – or chosen not to.
Salon emailed the leaders of a range of left-of-center groups to ask what they hope to hear in tonight’s speech. Their answers — some more likely than others – appear below. (On Tuesday morning, the White House announced its intention to address one of those demands: raising wages for federally-contracted workers.)
Defund the lockup quota: “In the State of the Union President Obama should take a stand against the lockup quota that requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to imprison at minimum 34,000 immigrants at any given time. The president should remove the quota from the White House budget and also urge Congress to eliminate it in the appropriations bill. To reaffirm his support for immigration reform, he should announce the suspension of all deportations, and closure of the most egregious immigration jails to ensure the safety, dignity and well being of immigrants subject to detention.” – Silky Shah, interim executive director, Detention Watch Network
Hike contracting standards: “Rather than just talking a big game about economic inequality during the State of the Union, progressives expect the president to act by announcing his intention to sign an executive order that would give preferential treatment to federal contractors who pay employees more, giving a de facto minimum wage increase to up to 2 million low-wage workers. By announcing this concrete action, the president could make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of families struggling with low-paying jobs and show the rest of