The President in his message to Congress described the U.S. as it stands in January 1956:
THE State of the Union today demonstrates what can be accomplished under God by a free people; by their vision, their understanding of national problems, their initiative, their self-reliance, their capacity for workÂand by their willingness to sacrifice whenever sacrifice is needed . . .
Our country is at peace. Our security posture commands respect. A spiritual vigor marks our national life. Our economy, approaching the 400 billion-dollar mark, is at an unparalleled level of prosperity. The national income is more widely and fairly distributed than ever...