[ti:President Obama Sets His Goals for 2013] [ar:] [al:IN THE NEWS] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]Go to 51voa.com for more... [00:03.54]From VOA Learning English, [00:07.22]this is IN THE NEWS in Special English. [00:10.86]President Obama set out goals for his second term earlier this week [00:17.58]during his fifth State of the Union message to Congress. [00:22.31]The president spoke largely about his economic goals for the United States. [00:28.79]He noted the need for the two main political parties [00:34.32]to support his efforts to help the middle class, [00:38.85]create jobs and reduce the deficit. [00:42.84]"Nothing I am proposing tonight [00:45.68]should increase our deficit by a single dime. [00:48.82]It is not a bigger government we need, [00:51.07]but a smarter government that sets priorities [00:53.77]and invests in broad-based growth." [00:56.09]Mr. Obama promised that his proposals [00:59.39]would not increase the size of the federal deficit. [01:03.67]He said major economic growth requires a balanced method [01:09.70]to reduce the deficit, where everyone does his fair share. [01:14.93]He suggested reforming Medicare, [01:18.31]the government-assisted health care program. [01:21.60]His proposals include cutting taxpayer money to drug companies. [01:28.02]President Obama also repeated his call to do away with tax laws [01:35.05]and deductions for the wealthy. [01:37.94]He called for a tax system that does not result [01:42.57]in the movement of jobs overseas, [01:45.60]and one that lowers tax rates for businesses [01:50.53]that create jobs in the United States. [01:54.37]The president said the American economy is stronger [02:00.55]when the skills and creativity of "striving, [02:04.73]hopeful immigrants" are used. [02:08.20]He said leaders from the business, labor, [02:12.39]law enforcement and religious communities all agree [02:17.46]that the time has come for immigration reform. [02:22.05]He asked lawmakers to speed passage of measures [02:27.37]aimed at improving immigration policy. [02:30.91]"As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers [02:34.54]are working diligently to draft a bill, [02:36.94]and I applaud their efforts. [02:38.68]Now let's get this done. [02:40.12]Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, [02:44.16]and I will sign it right away, [02:46.01]and America will be better for it. Let's get it done." [02:48.84]Mr. Obama said real reform means stronger border security [02:55.11]and establishing a responsible pathway to citizenship. [03:00.70]He said the reform means fixing the legal immigration system [03:06.87]to cut waiting periods and reduce bureaucratic barriers. [03:12.99]Senator Marco Rubio of Florida gave the official [03:17.57]Republican Party reaction to the president's speech. [03:22.01]He agreed to the need for immigration reform and for a system [03:28.28]to invite what he called the "best and the brightest" to come to America. [03:34.95]The Senator said the country needs a responsible system [03:40.27]for dealing with illegal immigrants. [03:43.76]And he called for stronger enforcement of existing laws. [03:48.79]"We need a responsible, [03:50.23]permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally. [03:52.58]But first, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past, [03:56.91]to secure our borders and enforce our laws." [04:00.50]Mr. Rubio was elected to the Senate in 2010 [04:05.03]with the help of Tea Party activists. [04:08.27]The Tea Party is a movement largely within the Republican Party. [04:13.40]Its goal is to reduce the power [04:17.13]and size of the federal government in the lives of Americans. [04:22.06]Tuesday night, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky [04:26.75]spoke for the Tea Party on the immigration issue. [04:30.29]"We're the party that embraces hard work and ingenuity, [04:34.03]therefore, we must be the party that embraces the immigrant [04:38.36]who wants to come to America for a better future. [04:40.35]We must be the party who sees immigrants as assets, not liabilities. [04:45.87]We must be the party that says, 'If you want to work, [04:48.86]if you want to be an American, we welcome you.'" [04:53.25]Go to 51voa.com for more...