President Obama made the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, January 28, 2014. During this speech the President addressed some issues that can make promising progress throughout the rest of 2014.

“Let’s make this a year of action. That’s what most Americans want, for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations,” President Obama quoted in his speech about the year to come.

President Obama has been given permission from Congress to aggressively regulate the rules of coal-powered factories which is the main contributing cause to carbon pollution. He has worked with the Environment Protection Agency to working towards getting rid of the coal-powered factories to reduce the carbon pollution. This act will go into effect around early June; however, the energy industries disagree with this.

“My administration will keep working with the industry to sustain production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air, our water, and our communities. And while we’re at it, I’ll use my authority to protect more of our pristine federal lands for future generations,” President Obama said of the environment.

President Obama also stated that the Americans will be officially moving out of Afghanistan, ending the war that has been in effect since the early 2000s.

“Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America’s longest war will finally be over,” President Obama said.

If the Afghanistan government signs a security agreement, President  Obama said, the United States stands ready to deploy “a small force of Americans” to carry out “two narrow missions” – training and assisting Afghanistan security forces, and continuing counter terrorism operations against Al Qaeda.

President Obama talked about the economy stating, “To every mayor, governor, and state legislator in America, I say, you don’t have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example.”

He has said this in past years, therefore reiterating his point further. President Obama is saying to political leaders to make their own decisions and to not wait around for someone else to make a difference but to make it themselves.

President Obama ended his speech by touching the hearts of Americans all across the county. He introduced Army Ranger, Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg, who, for the commander in chief, has come to represent the tens of thousands of Americans injured in Afghanistan, as Sergeant Remsburg was in Iraq.

“Men and women like Cory remind us that America has never come easy,” President Obama said. “Our freedom, our democracy, has never been easy.”

President Obama promises many changes and improvements in the country for 2014, and high hopes are held for this to be the year that the United States continues to positively progress.