Last night, President Trump delivered his third #SOTU address. Manhattan Institute scholars offer their analysis and reaction to some of his policy proposals and announcements. manhattan-institute.org/president-trum… 🧵THREAD:
.@DrBethAkers: It was wise that President Trump chose to kick off his address with a celebration of the labor market. Record low unemployment rates mean that people who want work can generally find it—and with wages growing, having a job means being able to pay the bills.
The economy is among the highest concerns for voters, which means that current conditions are a feather in the president’s cap. While President Trump did inherit an economy in expansion, it would be difficult to argue that his policies haven’t largely supported continued growth.
.@Brian_Riedl: President Trump has earned the right to take a victory lap on the growing economy. The continued economic expansion is now the longest in American history. Yet major challenges remain...
➡️Too many Americans struggle to make ends meet
➡️The budget deficit will surpass $1 trillion this year
➡️Tariffs are cancelling out many of the positive effects of the 2017 tax cuts
➡️Social Security and Medicare are sinking under the weight of 74 million retiring baby boomers
➡️The budget deficit will surpass $1 trillion this year
➡️Tariffs are cancelling out many of the positive effects of the 2017 tax cuts
➡️Social Security and Medicare are sinking under the weight of 74 million retiring baby boomers
2020 candidates propose around $40 trillion in new federal spending. Yet the combined proposals to “tax the rich” would raise $9.3 trillion under the best-case scenario. This level of spending would require enormous taxes on the middle class. bit.ly/2pqH2Jt @Brian_Riedl
.@CPopeHC: President Trump highlighted his administration's work to make available renewable term insurance options as an affordable alternative to Obamacare plans. These plans provide Americans with the option of comprehensive coverage and better access at half the price.
Short-term limited duration insurance plans provide equivalent health care coverage at much lower costs than what can be found on the Obamacare exchange—in some cases half the cost—while also offering access to a broader range of doctors and hospitals. manhattan-institute.org/renewable-term…
Although health insurance companies are easy to villainize, insurers provide a critical check on health-care spending. The real driver of U.S. health-care costs is enormous spending on hospitals and physicians’ services. bit.ly/2YDLrV4 via @CPopeHC #Issues2020🇺🇸
.@maxeden99: President Trump decried barriers to #schoolchoice and called on Democratic legislators to rethink their lack of support for effective school choice proposals that expand access to high-quality educational opportunities for minority students.
The minority groups that politicians say are harmed by charter schools are most likely to support charters. Among Democratic voters, 58% of blacks and 52% of Hispanics approve of charter schools, compared with 26% of whites. bit.ly/2GshK2G #schoolchoice via @maxeden99
Keep up with the topics covered leading up to November’s election with Manhattan Institute’s #Issues2020🇺🇸 series: manhattan-institute.org/issues2020
