There were a few items on my mind as I wonder if there is any way to find these out. Is there any way to search through a broad range of specific legislative pieces i.e. conduct a survey of hot button public policies? On another note, is there way to perform a fact check on a President's State of the Union Address or at least obtain what others have said about them?

Try a variety of search terms.

Current legislation
controversial legislation
new public policies

State of the Union address
fact check President Obama

As I scan various websites, I often find other search terms that are very useful.