Nevada legislators side by side at Obama’s address

WASHINGTON -- Democrats and Republicans sat side by side in the U.S. House chamber for President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech Tuesday.

The tone of the event was civil, but lawmakers still differed in their reactions to his proposals for the new year.

Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Shelley Berkley, both Nevada Democrats, applauded the speech, noting Obama mixed specific proposals with a vision of where the nation needs to be to face competition in the world economy.

Sen. John Ensign and Reps. Dean Heller and Joe Heck, all Nevada Republicans, were more guarded, saying the president will be judged on how he follows up.

Obama called for the newly divided Congress to work together, and said it won't be easy.

"We should have no illusions about the work ahead of us," he said.

The president brought up topics popular with each party. Democrats liked his defense of the health care overhaul law and cutting back on tax breaks for millionaires. Republicans applauded at his offer to work with them on reforming the medical malpractice system that they say contributes to the high cost of health care.

Berkley said Obama reached out to Republicans in acknowledgment of their gains in November when they captured control of the U.S. House.

"If we are going to move forward, it is going to take Republicans and Democrats," she said. "I am not sure he can deliver on all the proposals he made, but he reached out in an effort to work with Republicans."

"Tonight we heard a blueprint for how to move our country forward by investing in what works and cutting what doesn't," Reid said. "We heard a vision for keeping America a global economic superpower by out-educating, out-innovating and out-building our competition. To get there, we'll have to set aside our differences and reach across the aisle."

Heck said Obama "was trying to come back to the center" with an emphasis in on cracking down on earmarks and a call to overhaul the tax code.

But Heck said he was adopting an "I'll believe it when I see it" approach to the president's plans.

"I was encouraged that he embraced some fiscal responsibility," Heck said. "But it is not so much an issue of what he said but how are we going to accomplish these. It was awfully short on specifics and long on overarching goals."

Obama also called for a five-year freeze on domestic spending, but Ensign said there was less to the proposal than meets the eye. The accounts Obama is targeting make up only 12 percent of the budget and already have been increased by 24 percent over the past two years, he said.

"I would have liked to see a lot more specifics on cutting spending and a lot more aggression on cutting spending," Ensign said. "The president needs to lead on this."

"You can say things in a speech, but remember, the last two years he talked about jobs, jobs, jobs, and we saw all kinds of focus on all these other things" including health care, Ensign said. "A speech is not a policy. Words are cheap, and we need to have actions. I hope the president sends us some real reforms."

Heller said he hoped Obama "takes this opportunity to work with the new Congress to get our nation moving in the right direction."

But he added, "More taxpayer-funded stimulus spending is not the path to economic recovery."

In a change from past presidential speeches, Democrats and Republicans sat alongside each other in parts of the chamber in a symbolic display of civility after the shooting earlier this month of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., in her home district in Tucson.

Berkley sat between Heck and Heller on the Republican side. Ensign entered with Sens. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Scott Brown, R-Mass., but ended up seated next to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.

Sen. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, sat in a designated section for leadership, alongside his deputy, Sen. Dick Durban, D-Ill. Lawmakers said there was a noticeable difference, a more professional tone absent the one-upmanship among Democrats and Republicans that turned past events into partisan pep rallies of sorts.

"It was definitely different, but this was one night for one speech," Ensign said. "I hope this carries over. The question now is whether we can work together."

Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault @stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.