State of the Union: 2019

February 1, 2019

The State of the Union is officially set for Tuesday evening. To be sure you were up to date on our plans for that night, we’re sending out a special edition of this week’s rundown. The Roosevelt Institute’s top 5 stories of the week will return next Friday.


Tuesday’s State of the Union Address

Following his 35-day government shutdown, President Trump will deliver the State of the Union (SOTU) address on Tuesday, February 5 at 9pm EST. In advance of the speech, the Roosevelt Institute will begin a #SOTU Twitter chat at 8:45pm with Roosevelt Fellows Andrea Flynn, Darrick Hamilton, Susan R. Holmberg, Katy Milani, and Anne Price, as we discuss the progressive vision that Americans want—and need—to hear. We’ll be joined by bold leaders and organizations, including:

  • Kate Bahn, Washington Center for Equitable Growth
  • Jhumpa Bhattacharya, Insight Center for Community Economic Development
  • Janelle Jones, The Hub Project
  • Community Change
  • Equal Rights Advocates

Meet us on Tuesday night on our page @rooseveltinst!

What We’re Watching

The World Economic Forum (WEF) was last week in Davos, which created space for important conversations about economic inequality, including a clip featuring historian Rutger Bregman and Oxfam International Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. Former Yahoo Chief Financial Officer Ken Goldman argued that low unemployment in the US was proof of a healthy economy. “Don’t tell me about low levels of unemployment. You’re counting the wrong things. You’re not counting the dignity of people. You’re counting exploited people,” responded Byanyima.