Obama Speech Preview : Challenges are 'bigger than politics'

President Barack Obama will say that the challenges the U.S. faces are bigger than party and politics, according excerpts from Tuesday night's State of the Union Address.

With their votes, the American people determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans, he will say, according to the White House.

We will moved forward together, or not at all - for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics, he is expected to say.

Ahead of the speech, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday night's speech would be focused on what unites us rather than divides us.

In a Congress where Republicans control the House of Representatives and Democrats control the Senate, both sides will have to agree to pass any new legislation. The first two years of the President's tenure were marked by partisan votes on major legislation such as health care reform and financial reform.

A lot of times coming out of these meetings, both sides claim they want to work together, but try to paint the opponent as unyielding and unwilling to cooperate, Obama said after meeting with members from both parties in December to discuss end of the year legislation.But I think there was recognition today that that's a game that we can't afford. Not in these times.