WEEKLY ADDRESS: Putting the American People First

[ProSense]

Video: WEEKLY ADDRESS: Putting the American People First

Transcript:

On Thursday, I visited a new, high-tech factory in Michigan where workers are helping America lead the way in a growing clean energy industry.

They were proud of their work, and they should be. They’re not just showing us a path out of the worst recession in generations – they’re proving that this is still a country where we make things; where new ideas take root and grow; where the best universities, most creative entrepreneurs, and most dynamic businesses in the world call home. They’re proving that even in difficult times, there’s not a country on Earth that wouldn’t trade places with us.

That doesn’t mean we don’t face some very tough economic challenges. Many Americans are hurting badly right now. Many have been unemployed for too long. Putting these men and women back to work, and growing wages for everyone, has got to be our top priority.

But lately, the response from Washington has been partisanship and gridlock that’s only undermined public confidence and hindered our efforts to grow the economy.

So while there’s nothing wrong with our country, there is something wrong with our politics, and that’s what we’ve got to fix. Because we know there are things Congress can do, right now, to get more money back in your pockets, get this economy growing faster, and get our friends and neighbors back to work.

The payroll tax cut that put $1,000 back in the average family’s pocket this year? Let’s extend it. Construction workers who’ve been jobless since the housing boom went bust? Let’s put them back to work rebuilding America. Let’s cut red tape in the patent process so entrepreneurs can get good ideas to market more quickly. Let’s finish trade deals so we can sell more American-made goods around the world. Let’s connect the hundreds of thousands of brave Americans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan to businesses that need their incredible skills and talents.

These are all things we can do right now. So let’s do them. And over the coming weeks, I’ll put forward more proposals to help our businesses hire and create jobs, and won’t stop until every American who wants a job can find one.

But we can no longer let partisan brinksmanship get in our way – the idea that making it through the next election is more important than making things right. That’s what’s holding us back – the fact that some in Congress would rather see their opponents lose than see America win.

So you’ve got a right to be frustrated. I am. Because you deserve better. And I don’t think it’s too much for you to expect that the people you send to this town start delivering.

Members of Congress are at home in their districts right now. And if you agree with me – whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or not much of a fan of either – let them know.

If you’ve had it with gridlock, and you want them to pass stalled bills that will help our economy right now – let them know.

If you refuse to settle for a politics where scoring points is more important than solving problems; if you believe it’s time to put country before party and the interests of our children before our own – let them know.

And maybe they’ll get back to Washington ready to compromise, ready to create jobs, ready to get our fiscal house in order – ready to do what you sent them to do.

Yes, we’ve still got a long way to go to get to where we need to be. We didn’t get into this mess overnight, and it’s going to take time to get out of it. That’s a hard truth – but it’s no excuse for inaction. After all, America voted for divided government, not dysfunctional government, and we’ve got work to do. And when we come together and find common ground, there’s no stopping this country. There’s no stopping our people. There’s no holding us back. And there is every reason to believe we’ll get through this storm to a brighter day.

Thanks for listening, and have a nice weekend.

[Enrique]

1. someone in Congress has a plan!

Mr. President, get behind Jan Schakowsky's Jobs to Restore American Dream Act

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/10/jan-schakowsky-jobs-to-restore-american-dream-act_n_923899.html

Under her plan, the following policies would be implemented:

The School Improvement Corps would create 400,000 construction and 250,000 maintenance jobs by funding positions created by public school districts to do needed school rehabilitation improvements.
The Park Improvement Corps would create 100,000 jobs for youth between the ages of 16 and 25 through new funding to the Department of the Interior and the USDA Forest Service’s Public Lands Corps Act. Young people would work on conservation projects on public lands including the restoration and rehabilitation of natural, cultural, and historic resources.
The Student Jobs Corps would create 250,000 more part-time work study jobs for eligible college students through new funding for the Federal Work Study Program.
The Neighborhood Heroes Corps would hire 300,000 new teachers, 40,000 new police officers and 12,000 new firefighters.
The Health Corps would hire at least 40,000 health care providers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and health care workers to expand access in underserved rural and urban areas.
The Child Care Corps would create 100,000 jobs in early childhood care and education through additional funding for Early Head Start.
The Community Corps would hire 750,000 individuals to do needed work in communities, including housing rehab, weatherization, recycling, and rural conservation.
In addition, the bill would give priority to the longterm unemployed -- the so-called "99ers" who have exhausted both their state and federal unemployment benefits. Federally extended unemployment benefits are set to expire this year, even though nearly 14 million Americans remain out of work and it takes the average worker nine months to find a new job.

“The worst deficit this country faces isn’t the budget deficit," Schakowsky said. "It’s the jobs deficit. We need to get our people and our economy moving again.”

[COLGATE4]

2. Not a chance in hell he will. That would mean backing something

tangible and concrete - Obama continues to prefer continuing with the warm and fuzzies of 'bipartisanship' and 'compromise'.

[ProSense]

3. Ever

wonder why all these plans weren't put forward when Dems were the House majority and we had six more Democratic Senators?

Credit where credit is due, I really liked Schakowsky's deficit reduction plan from late last year.

Still, this doesn't have to be either or. Everything that can be done should be done. One problem is Boehner decides which bills come to the floor and Republicans are needed to pass any bill. (On edit: I believe there are ways that Pelosi could force a bill to the floor. Not sure.)

I would love to see 30 Republicans supporting Schakowsky's jobs bill.

[Enrique]

4. so what bills are we supposed to call Congress about

he's telling us to tell Congress to act? On what? He doesn't say.

Since I'm not sure what Obama's talking about, I'm going to urge my congressman to back Schakowsky's bill.

[ProSense]

8. Here's

one and the infrastructure bank bill that the President supports and is constantly talking about.

<...>

Meanwhile, Democrats like U.S. Senator John Kerry and U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio are hoping to beef up Washington's investment in infrastructure projects.

"We know that every $1 billion invested in just transportation infrastructure, creates or sustains over 34,000 jobs and produces $6.2 billion in economic activity," DeFazio wrote President Barack Obama in June.

Kerry is hoping to find a way to expand investment in highways and other infrastructure, but to do so with minimal use of taxpayer dollars. He hopes to be able to attach to the gasoline tax bill legislation creating an infrastructure bank using revolving funds to spur investment.

link

Kerry's site has information on the BUILD ACT

[ladjf]

5. I agree. But, it won't happen. Almost all of the Administration's

moves are.

[ladjf]

6. Meaningless chatter. nt

[ladjf]

7. "Putting the American People first". His record for putting

Americans first is abysmal. nt

[Armstead]

9. Can he please start saying the "R" word. This is not bi-partisan gridlock

This is the absolute refusal by the Republican Party to approve or propose anything constructive, and to block all efforts by Democrats to compromise and find common solutions to a crisis created by the Republicans.

It is also a willingness by the most extreme faction of the GOP to tank the economy to score political points.

Can he ever acknowledge that? The GOP is out busily spreading their Bizarro Universe version of the situation. Can the President actually inject some reality into this?

[ProSense]

10. He

"bi-partisan gridlock"

...didn't say that, he said, "partisanship and gridlock "

It's clear the President is trying to get everyone to call Congress:

"Members of Congress are at home in their districts right now. And if you agree with me – whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican or not much of a fan of either – let them know."

He'll likely inspire more people to do so, including some independents and Republicans.

The message wasn't designed to be partisan.

[Armstead]

11. He should be partisan because it is a partisan problem

Perhaps you have more faith in people's intuitive abilities than I, but I don't think independent voters who only pay peripheral attention to the details of politics are going to assume the mess is the result of the GOP obstructionism unless the issues are clearly identified.

And with the GOP machine out there spinning like crazy blaming Obama and the Democrats, the HAS to be a counter argument made.
\
But when the head of the Democratic Party doesn't identify it, then that feeds into the meme that "they're all the same" and that there is no reason to support either party or worse yet, accept the GOP version and vote for them.