In Today’s Times:
- President Obama traveled to North Carolina Wednesday to highlight the resurgence in American manufacturing, which he emphasized in his State of the Union address. But while he was out promoting his plans, lawmakers questioned whether the ambitious agenda he laid out Tuesday could materialize, Mark Landler and Jonathan Weisman report.
- Mr. Obama’s call for free trade between the United States and the European Union is raising hopes for a pact that could not only raise economic growth but also lower prices for consumers and give new impetus to a long static relationship, Nicholas Kulish and Jackie Calmes report.
- As senators gathered Wednesday for the first hearing on the proposals to overhaul immigration law they said Mr. Obama’s nonconfrontational tone during his State of the Union address was a strategic choice to give lawmakers more room to navigate the delicate issue, Ashley Parker reports.
- The president’s nominee for Treasury secretary, Jacob J. Lew, calmly faced tough questioning from members of the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday, many of whom seemed intent on ruffling him for political points, Annie Lowrey reports.
- As Republicans demanded more information before voting on Chuck Hagel’s nomination to be secretary of defense, Senate Democrats accused them of obstructionism and moved Wednesday ! to force a vote by the weekend, Jeremy W. Peters and Mark Mazzetti report.
Washington Happenings:
- Mr. Obama will visit a prekindergarten class in Decatur, Ga., on Thursday before speaking at a community center about his plan to make high-quality preschool available to every child. Later, he will participate in a “Fireside Hangout†using Google Plus to talk about his State of the Union address.
- Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. will have lunch with President Giorgio Napolitano of Italy.
- Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to have bilateral meetings with Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, and then with Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
- The Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing on “The Impacts of Sequestration,†featuring testimony from Arne Duncan, secretary of education; Janet Napolitano, secretary of homeland security; Shaun Donovan, secretay of housing and urban development; and Ashton B. Carter, deputy secretary of defense.
- The Senate Finance Committee will receive a progress report on the insurance exchanges established under the new health care law.
