| 1954 State of the Union Address | |
| Time: | 12:30 p.m. EST[1] |
| Duration: | 52 minutes[2] |
| Venue: | House Chamber, United States Capitol |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates: | 38.8897°N -77.0089°W |
| Type: | State of the Union Address |
| Participants: | Dwight D. Eisenhower Richard Nixon Joseph W. Martin Jr. |
| Blank1 Label: | Previous |
| Blank1 Data: | February 1953 State of the Union Address |
| Blank2 Label: | Next |
| Blank2 Data: | 1955 State of the Union Address |
The 1954 State of the Union Address was given by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Thursday, January 7, 1954, to the 83rd United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives.[3] It was Eisenhower's second State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Joseph W. Martin Jr., accompanied by Vice President Richard Nixon, in his capacity as the president of the Senate. This address was broadcast live on both radio and television.
Eisenhower began his speech by noting that the Korean War was over, but he also stated the threat from communism was not over:
For domestic issues, Eisenhower asked Congress to reduce spending but to forego tax cuts for 1954.[4]
In the last part of his address, Eisenhower called for several measures which were not accomplished by the 83rd United States Congress but which were later enacted: First, he called for the citizens of the District of Columbia to have the right to vote, which was later enacted with the ratification of the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1961. Second, he called for Hawaii to be admitted to the union, which would happen in 1959. Third, he called for the right to vote to be extended to those 18 years of age or older, arguing that if they were old enough to serve in the armed forces, then they should be allowed to "participate in the political process." This was accomplished just under 20 years later with the ratification of the Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1971.
Eisenhower then closed his speech saying that Americans must reject materialism and look to transcendent aims to preserve peace and prosperity:
After he was done speaking, Eisenhower spent the rest of the afternoon playing golf.[5]