In Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Fla.) Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, expect a measured, but spirited affirmation of middle class empowerment and a resounding rebuttal of the president's aspirations for more big government in everyday life.
Rubio will emphasize limited government as the true driver of economic growth and middle class prosperity, a Rubio aide told Human Events Tuesday, as well as deliver a rebuttal against the president's call for growing the government.
In recent weeks, Rubio has been thrust into the limelight, with TIME Magazine proclaiming him the savior of the Republican Party. Rubio was quick to dismiss that, tweeting, "There is only one savior, and it is not me. #Jesus." He has also been on the forefront of the immigration reform debate in Congress, pledging his support of a bipartisan and comprehensive plan with 8 senators.
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On immigration, the Rubio aide tells Human Events that the Florida senator will not go into great detail about his framework for reform. However, immigration reform will be mentioned as another promising way to grow the American economy.
Republicans, by in large, aren't expecting much from the president's address and have offered their ideas on what the president should talk about.
Rubio's colleague, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said that the president's No. 1 priority in tonight's speech is to emphasize jobs. In an op/ed in today's Washington Times, Barrasso said, "[i]nstead of an hourlong laundry list of special-interest boondoggles and hollow rhetoric, the president should say exactly how he plans to help these fathers, mothers, sons and daughters get back to work again."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took to the Senate floor this morning and said that the president should address the automatic spending cuts to defense and domestic programs known as sequestration and ensure that the drastic cuts imposed in the bill won't come to fruition.
"If the president really wants a ???balanced??? approach, now???s the time to show his hand on the spending cuts and reforms he???ll accept. That???s how compromise works," McConnell said.
Rubio will also tape his speech in Spanish before giving the response live in English. The Rubio aide said the the senator wants to give the speech himself to Hispanic audiences, so there is no need to rely on an interpreter. Spanish-language media will receive an embargoed copy of the speech and will be able to air it at the same time as English language networks, according to published reports.
