On January 5, 1949, President Harry Truman presented the state of the union address to the U.S. Congress. Issues discussed included: poor medical care, low minimum wage, inflation, poorly managed natural resources and inadequate education.
Solutions he proposed included: empowering congress to impose price ceilings; endorsement of the St. Lawrence Seaway Project; new tax legislation to balance the national budget; changes in labor-related laws; improvement of Social Security, Education, health care, public housing and civil rights.
On January 29, 1949 Harry S. Truman was (re-) inaugurated president. In his inaugural speech, he emphasized four points:
The four points
- First, “we will continue to give unfaltering support to the United Nations and related agencies, and we will continue to search for ways to strengthen their authority and increase their effectiveness.”
- Second, “we will continue our programs for world economic recovery.”
- Third, “we will strengthen freedom-loving nations against the dangers of aggression.”
- Fourth, “we must embark on a bold new program for making the benefits of our scientific advances and industrial progress available for the improvement and growth of underdeveloped areas.”