Defiant Obama Pushes Ambitious Economic Agenda

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama announced an expensive new agenda in his State of the Union address Tuesday night that includes billions of dollars in new taxes.

Now in the fourth and final quarter of his presidency, Obama was defiant in the face of the new Republican majority on Capitol Hill.

"I have no more campaigns to run," he said. "I know because I won both of them."

Most of his agenda focuses on what he calls "middle class economics" aimed at "helping folks afford childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement," Obama said.

The president wants to guarantee paid sick and maternity leave, raise wages, and reduce the cost of college.

They're ideas that add up to $320 billion in new taxes and fees on the wealthiest Americans.

"For far too long lobbyists have rigged the tax code with loopholes that let some corporations pay nothing while others pay full freight," he said. "They've riddled it with giveaways the super-rich don't need, denying a break to middle class families who do."

Watch President Obama's State of the Union address:

Watch the Republican response to President Obama's address:

Soon the focus will shift to the 2016 presidential race. Some Republicans accuse the president of pushing talking points that appeal to his Democrat base instead of proposals that actually have a chance of passing the Republican-controlled Congress.

"There have been presidents in the past who have been repudiated in the midterm election and in the past what presidents have done is they have come to the American people with humility,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told CBN News.

"They have said, 'I've heard the message I will listen to the voter and change course.' Unfortunately, tonight President Obama doubled down," Cruz said.

For the second year in a row, the Republican response to the State of the Union address came from a woman.

As part of the new majority, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was elected on a promise to make big Washington spenders squeal like pigs.

"We'll propose ideas that aim to cut wasteful spending and balance the budget - with meaningful reforms, not higher taxes like the president has proposed," she vowed Tuesday.

"We'll defend life because protecting our most vulnerable is an important measure of any society," she said.

Obama celebrated America's respect for human dignity and condemned rising anti-Semitism.

"It's why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims, the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace," the president said in his Tuesday address.

But Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, is miffed the president didn't mention Christians facing persecution at historic levels.

"We rush around the world to help Muslims that are being persecuted and yet we have growing anti-Jewish, anti-Christian sentiment, people being crucified again," the Texas lawmaker said.

Better politics, the president says, is when both sides debate without demonizing.

Some lawmakers do see areas for cooperation, like infrastructure, helping veterans, and even tax reform. They appear ready to heed the message voters sent in November.

"Look, I heard the message on my side and I know Republicans heard the same thing - they don't want to hear Democrat and Republican, they want to hear that you're going to sit down, work together - at least try to arrive at common ground and once you land there, get something done," Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., told CBN News.

Meanwhile, the president is hitting the road to sell his tax plans to the American people.