The US Consitution states that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

obama-hsr1President Obama considered High Speed Rail as one of the 'necessities' of our national infrastructure. 

From NARP: 

President Barack Obama reiterated his call for the nation to invest in a modern passenger rail network in Tuesday’s State of the Union address, arguing high-speed rail is an essential part of ensuring that America remains economically competitive in the 21st Century.

“Ask any CEO where they'd rather locate and hire: a country with deteriorating roads and bridges, or one with high-speed rail and internet; high-tech schools and self-healing power grids," said the President. "The CEO of Siemens America – a company that brought hundreds of new jobs to North Carolina – has said that if we upgrade our infrastructure, they'll bring even more jobs. And I know that you want these job-creating projects in your districts. I've seen you all at the ribbon-cuttings.”

We couldn't agree more and our thanks to the Midwest High Speed Rail Association for sending us the graphic.{jcomments on}