Politics
Obama hoping for bi-partisan co-operation on Capitol Hill in 2014
Aside from fiscal matters, the president also must make decisions on what changes he wants in the government’s vast surveillance powers. He’s expected to announce those changes before his January 28 State of the Union address, though an exact date has not been set.
A presidential commission presented Obama with more than 40 recommendations and the president signaled at a year-end news conference that he was open to many of the proposals. But he is facing pushback from his intelligence advisers, who argue that the widespread collection of telephone and Internet records is crucial to national security.
The president also must make a decision on the future of the American force presence in Afghanistan. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is yet to sign a bilateral security agreement with the U.S. that the Obama administration says is crucial if American troops are to stay in the country after the war formally concludes at the end of 2014.
The White House had hoped to have the agreement signed before January 1, but indicated there was some flexibility on that timing. Officials say that without an agreement soon, the U.S. will be forced to start making plans to bring all of its troops home.
Aides say January’s packed agenda will keep the president in Washington for much of the lead up to his State of the Union address, though some brief domestic travel may occur.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press
