오바마 대통령 재취임(Obama's second-term priorities)

  

* Gun control

 

The first big test is shaping up to be an issue that never came up on the campaign trail and wasn't even on Washington's radar. Gun violence came into sharp focus after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that took the lives of 20 children and six adults.

 

It sparked a heated debate and led to new measures the president plans to put in place through executive action or with congressional approval.

 

Steps quickly assembled aimed at curbing gun violence, such as universal background checks and a ban on high-capacity magazine clips of more than 10 rounds.

 

"It's common sense" said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has been pushing for stricter gun laws. 'It makes sense. It's not a radical notion."

 

But the National Rifle Association and other gun groups are ready for a fight, swinging with searing TV ads and a public rebuke of the administration's efforts.

 

While polls indicate the majority of American's support the president's efforts, some political observers have doubts about Washington's ability to produce any meaningful change.

 

"No one Democrat or Republican wants to deal with that issue. It's not popular," said CNN contributor and conservative activist Erick Erickson. "They want to just do something for the sake of symbolism."

 

* Debt ceiling

 

The new term will also feature some old fights. The debt ceiling round two was shaping up to be another fierce fiscal showdown. House Republicans had insisted on spending cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. President Obama warned he was not going to negotiate.

 

With the prospect of a default and the Treasury Department taking steps to bridge the gap, Congressional Republicans backed off a bit, with plans to vote next week on a three-month deal to extend the debt ceiling.

 

 

Cutter, Obama: "Better job communicating"

100 years of inaugurations in 2 minutes

Historian talks Obama's 2nd term It's not a long-term solution, but it takes some air out of a contentious battle the president would have faced immediately.

 

* Immigration reform

 

One large and important constituency will be watching the president's second term closely. They care about gun violence and fiscal matters but want to see quick action on immigration reform.

 

Hispanics, who voted overwhelming for Obama, 71%-27% over Republican challenger Mitt Romney, had hoped for more progress in the president's first term.

 

Amid record deportations, USA Today columnist Raul Reyes says there was a lot of anxiety in the Latino community. "It really seemed like he had forgotten about his promise on immigration."

 

The White House points to steps the president did take, like an executive order to stop deporting some young illegal immigrants who entered the country as children.

 

That wasn't enough and the president admitted as much in his post-election news conference when he vowed again to deliver on his promise.

 

"I'm very confident that we can get immigration reform done," the president said as he drew an outline of what that would look like: Stronger border security, penalties for companies hiring undocumented workers and a pathway to legal status for otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants.

 

* Other key issues

 

The spotlight shines less brightly on environmental concerns, climate change and energy policies, but activists and others are working to keep these issues from being ignored in the second term.

 

In his inaugural address the president is not expected to detail policy initiatives. Top advisers say he will touch on broad themes and put meat on the bones during his State of the Union address next month.

 

The president will work to define his legacy in the second term and plans to aggressively engage the public to put pressure on Congress.(출처: CHN)