President Obama’s first State of the Union address will touch on the Flight 253 incident, White House aides say.
Obama has been meeting with advisers and his speechwriting team for weeks to craft the speech. Even though he addressed Congress last winter, it will be his first official State of the Union.
It was expected that deficit reduction and fiscal responsibility would be major focus points in the speech, along with health care. The White House is aiming to schedule the address for after the final health care bill passes Congress and heads to Obama’s desk.
But today reporters asked White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton if Flight 253 would consume the speech.
Burton said it was too early to offer specifics, but added the incident “obviously” would be mentioned.
“We’re in the process of piecing together what it will be — a speech that is going to have to cover quite a bit of ground,” he said as Air Force One traveled back from Hawaii at the conclusion of the president’s vacation.
“That speech is still very much in the midst of an ongoing process towards completion,” Burton said.
Before Obama left on vacation, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the president had been having regular meetings to prepare for the address. He said staffers also were huddling to determine the topics and direction for the speech.
