An Obama Report Card From His First Congressional Address

11:06

January 11, 2016

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) applaud as U.S. President Barack Obama addresses a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol February 24, 2009 in Washington, D.C. In his remarks, Obama addressed the topics of the struggling U.S. economy, the budget deficit, and health care. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Getty Images)

As President Obama prepares for his last State of the Union address, Ron Elving and Danielle Kurtzleben of NPR join Here & Now host Jeremy Hobson to look back at his first big speech to Congress in 2009. Technically, it wasn't a State of the Union address, since the president had just taken office. What goals did the president set down, and how well did he do in achieving them?

Read President Obama's address to Congress on Feb. 24, 2009

Guest

Ron Elving, senior Washington editor and correspondent at NPR. He tweets @NPRrelving.
Danielle Kurtzleben, political reporter on NPR's Washington Desk. She tweets @titonka.

This segment aired on January 11, 2016.

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