It won't just be members of Congress reaching across the aisle tonight. In his State of the Union address, President Obama will call for a ban on earmarks and propose a five-year freeze on federal discretionary spending—with an exception for security. The White House hopes to win the support of the new crop of Republicans in Congress. According to estimates, the two moves might save $450 billion—a sum that might help convince Congress to agree to the spending on education and infrastructure that Obama will request in the speech.
