As he faces a tough re-election campaign, President Barack Obama devoted much of his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night to his plan to speed the U.S. economic recovery.
President Obama Delivers His State of the Union Address
President Barack Obama shakes hands before his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress Jan. 24, 2012, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP)
Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner before the State of the Union. (AP)
President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address. (AP)
The president said it is time to reclaim what he called "American values," laying out several proposals for the coming year. (AP)
First lady Michelle Obama is applauded prior to the State of the Union. Front row, from left are, Adm. William McRaven, Jackie Bray, Obama, Retired Capt. Mark Kelly, Jill Biden and Sgt. Ashleigh Berg. (AP)
President Obama hugs Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who is resigning to focus on recovering from the wounds she suffered in a Tucson shooting last year. (AP)
Lights from the motorcade carrying the president are reflected as the motorcade heads to the U.S. Capitol. (AP)
Грамота Рузвельта
Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was a guest of honor at the State of the Union. (White House Photo/David Lienemann)
San Antonio mayor Julian Castro, also a guest of honor, is behind one of the U.S.'s largest solar projects, expected to produce 400 megawatts of zero-emissions solar energy. (AP)
Another guest of honor was U.S. Navy Vice Admiral William H. McRaven, who as commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) had operational control of the mission to get Osama bin Laden. (AP)