U.S. lawmakers have expressed a mix of reactions to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, with a particular focus on his economic policies and the ongoing international negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.
After the speech Tuesday night at the Capitol in Washington, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Mr. Obama's speech a "powerful vision of opportunity and prosperity" for American families, and highlighted his plans to help those in the middle class.
But Republicans in the Senate, who reclaimed a majority this year, questioned how the president would fund those initiatives.
Senator Cory Gardner expressed opposition to raising money through new taxes.
On Iran, Mr. Obama said enacting new sanctions would "all but guarantee" the negotiations would fail, but some members of Congress are pushing for more economic pressure.
Senator Gardner said the current effort has given too many concessions to Iran, while not getting enough in return.
Democratic Representative Eliot Engel also wants more sanctions, which have hurt Iran's economy during the past few years.
Representative David Scott, a Democrat, expressed similar dissatisfaction with the president's counterterror policies.
Others backed Mr. Obama, including Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer, who said he "showed his leadership when he talked about America leading a united world in confronting the threat of terrorism."