This morning, President Obama spoke at the Brookings Institution to announce a set of broad new proposals to spur job growth. The President explained that steps the administration has taken so far have reduced the expected cost of the TARP program by more than $200 billion, providing additional resources that will now be put towards job creation and deficit reduction.In his remarks, the President explained:
Even as the Recovery Act has created jobs and spurred growth, we have not let up in our efforts to take every responsible action to get the economy growing and America working... Partly as a result of these and other steps, we’re in a very different place today than we were a year ago. We can safely say that we are no longer facing the potential collapse of our financial system and we’ve avoided the depression many feared. Our economy is growing for the first time in a year – and the swing from contraction to expansion since the beginning of the year is the largest in nearly three decades. ...But our work is far from done. For even though we have reduced the deluge of job losses to a relative trickle, we are not yet creating jobs at a pace to help all those families who have been swept up in the flood. There are more than seven million fewer Americans with jobs today than when this recession began. That’s a staggering figure and one that reflects not only the depths of the hole from which we must ascend, but also a continuing human tragedy. And it speaks to an urgent need to accelerate job growth in the short term while laying a new foundation for lasting economic growth.
President Obama then outlined three broad steps to accelerate job growth:
First, we’re proposing a series of steps to help small businesses grow and hire new staff. Over the past fifteen years, small businesses have created roughly 65 percent of all new jobs in America. These are companies formed around kitchen tables in family meetings, formed when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream, formed when a worker decides its time she became her own boss. These are also companies that drive innovation, producing thirteen times more patents per employee than large companies... That’s why it is so important that we help small business struggling to open, or stay open, during these difficult times. Building on the tax cuts in the Recovery Act, we’re proposing a complete elimination of capital gains taxes on small business investment along with an extension of write-offs to encourage small businesses to expand in the coming year. And I believe it’s worthwhile to create a tax incentive to encourage small businesses to add and keep employees and I’m going to work with Congress to pass one....Second, we’re proposing a boost in investment in the nation’s infrastructure beyond what was included in the Recovery Act, to continue modernizing our transportation and communications networks. These are needed public works that engage private sector companies, spurring hiring across the country. Already, more than 10,000 of these projects have been funded through the Recovery Act... Even so, there are many more worthy projects than there were dollars to fund them. ...Third, I’m calling on Congress to consider a new program to provide incentives for consumers who retrofit their homes to become more energy efficient, which we know creates jobs, saves money for families, and reduces the pollution that threatens our environment. And I’m proposing that we expand select Recovery Act initiatives to promote energy efficiency and clean energy jobs which have proven particularly popular and effective. It’s a positive sign that many of these programs drew so many applicants for funding that a lot of strong proposals – proposals that will leverage private capital and create jobs quickly – did not make the cut. With additional resources, in areas like advanced manufacturing of wind turbines and solar panels, for instance, we can help turn good ideas into good private-sector jobs.Finally, as we are moving forward in these areas, we should also extend the relief in the Recovery Act, including emergency assistance to seniors, unemployment insurance benefits, COBRA, and relief to states and localities to prevent layoffs. This will help folks weathering these storms while boosting consumer spending and promoting jobs.
Read the President's full remarks, as prepared for delivery . . .
President Obama will deliver a speech at the Brookings Institution today, in which he is expected to announce new proposals to accelerate job growth. The speech is scheduled to begin at 11:15 A.M. Eastern, and can be viewed live at WhiteHouse.gov/live.
From the Washington Post:
The Obama administration moved closer Monday to issuing regulations on greenhouse gases, a step that would enable it to limit emissions across the economy even if Congress does not pass climate legislation…In Monday's much-anticipated announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency said that six gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, pose a danger to the environment and the health of Americans and that the agency would start drawing up regulations to reduce those emissions."These are reasonable, common-sense steps," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said, adding that they would protect the environment "without placing an undue burden on the businesses that make up the better part of our economy…”
The Obama administration moved closer Monday to issuing regulations on greenhouse gases, a step that would enable it to limit emissions across the economy even if Congress does not pass climate legislation…
In Monday's much-anticipated announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency said that six gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, pose a danger to the environment and the health of Americans and that the agency would start drawing up regulations to reduce those emissions.
"These are reasonable, common-sense steps," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said, adding that they would protect the environment "without placing an undue burden on the businesses that make up the better part of our economy…”
From the New York Times:
President Obama on Tuesday will announce three proposals intended to turn around the nation’s beleaguered job market, including strengthening investments to small businesses that have struggled to expand because of the credit crunch in America…The speech, according to a senior administration official, will outline a series of steps to help small businesses grow and hire new staff. The president also will call for increasing the investment in infrastructure through building and modernizing highways, railways, bridges and tunnels. He also will propose a new program that provides rebates for consumers who retrofit their homes to become more energy efficient…
President Obama on Tuesday will announce three proposals intended to turn around the nation’s beleaguered job market, including strengthening investments to small businesses that have struggled to expand because of the credit crunch in America…
The speech, according to a senior administration official, will outline a series of steps to help small businesses grow and hire new staff. The president also will call for increasing the investment in infrastructure through building and modernizing highways, railways, bridges and tunnels. He also will propose a new program that provides rebates for consumers who retrofit their homes to become more energy efficient…
From the Los Angeles Times:
President Obama is looking to use bailout money that banks are returning to the government to help tackle two of the nation's biggest problems -- unemployment and the budget deficit.As he prepared to unveil job creation ideas in a major economic speech today, Obama said he was considering tapping the $700-billion Troubled Asset Relief Program to pay for some of them. Additional money flowing back into TARP, leading to new projections lowering the fund's long-term cost, would help reduce the ballooning deficit…Major banks are returning the bulk of the money given them more quickly than anticipated. Bank of America Corp. said last week that it won federal approval to return $45 billion it had received, raising to $116 billion the amount expected this year from banks."It means that some of that money can . . . be devoted to deficit reduction," Obama said. "And the question is, are there selective approaches that are consistent with the original goals of TARP -- for example, making sure that small businesses are still getting lending -- that would be appropriate in accelerating job growth?…"Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com, sees little difference between using the TARP money to pay for job-creation programs and using it to reduce the deficit, which would then force Congress to appropriate more money for job programs. The net result is the same, he said…
President Obama is looking to use bailout money that banks are returning to the government to help tackle two of the nation's biggest problems -- unemployment and the budget deficit.
As he prepared to unveil job creation ideas in a major economic speech today, Obama said he was considering tapping the $700-billion Troubled Asset Relief Program to pay for some of them. Additional money flowing back into TARP, leading to new projections lowering the fund's long-term cost, would help reduce the ballooning deficit…
Major banks are returning the bulk of the money given them more quickly than anticipated. Bank of America Corp. said last week that it won federal approval to return $45 billion it had received, raising to $116 billion the amount expected this year from banks.
"It means that some of that money can . . . be devoted to deficit reduction," Obama said. "And the question is, are there selective approaches that are consistent with the original goals of TARP -- for example, making sure that small businesses are still getting lending -- that would be appropriate in accelerating job growth?…"
Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.com, sees little difference between using the TARP money to pay for job-creation programs and using it to reduce the deficit, which would then force Congress to appropriate more money for job programs. The net result is the same, he said…
Today was a big day in environmental news. Three things:
First, former Vice President Al Gore met with President Obama about climate change this afternoon in a private meeting in the Oval Office. Gore is one of the most prominent Americans and thought leaders in favor of U.S. action on climate change.
Second, today the much anticipated U.N. Climate Conference in Copenhagen got underway. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the White House announced that President Obama would join the U.S. delegation to Copenhagen (last weekend, officials said the President would be in Copenhagen on December 18, instead of December 9). President Obama is expected to commit the United States to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Senator John Kerry (MA), who has been spearheading the effort to craft bipartisan legislation in the Senate, said the Administration’s decision to target specific climate goals amounts to, “a global game changer with big reverberations here at home."
A much-anticipated global meeting of nearly 200 nations - all seeking what has so far been elusive common ground on the issue of climate change - began here on Monday with an impassioned airing of what leaders here called the political and moral imperatives at hand.“The clock has ticked down to zero,” said the United Nations' climate chief, Yvo de Boer. “After two years of negotiation, the time has come to deliver.”From now until December 18, delegates will try to hammer out some of the most vexing details involved in the pursuit of a global climate accord…Jonathan Pershing, the State Department’s special climate envoy, who represented the United States at the opening plenary, said he saw strong signs that the conference would prove critical in getting traction on curbing emissions and helping poor countries that are urgently threatened by climate change — particularly given the decision by more than 100 leaders, including President Obama, to attend.
A much-anticipated global meeting of nearly 200 nations - all seeking what has so far been elusive common ground on the issue of climate change - began here on Monday with an impassioned airing of what leaders here called the political and moral imperatives at hand.
“The clock has ticked down to zero,” said the United Nations' climate chief, Yvo de Boer. “After two years of negotiation, the time has come to deliver.”
From now until December 18, delegates will try to hammer out some of the most vexing details involved in the pursuit of a global climate accord…
Jonathan Pershing, the State Department’s special climate envoy, who represented the United States at the opening plenary, said he saw strong signs that the conference would prove critical in getting traction on curbing emissions and helping poor countries that are urgently threatened by climate change — particularly given the decision by more than 100 leaders, including President Obama, to attend.
And third, today the Environmental Protection Agency finalized its “endangerment finding” on greenhouse gas emissions, formally declaring that carbon and other greenhouse gases are harmful to the public’s health and welfare. The finding lays the groundwork for the future regulation of greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide, including mobile (e.g. transportation) and stationary (e.g. power plants, factories) sources.
From Politico:
"The threat is real,” [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson] said. “Climate change has now become a household issue.”Monday’s ruling forces the EPA to begin mandating greenhouse gas emissions reductions from industrial polluters like power plants, factories, and auto makers. The EPA, Jackson said, “is now authorized and obligated to make reasonable efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Energy Act.”The EPA announcement comes two and half years after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Bush administration to reconsider whether greenhouse gas emissions are pollutants. The EPA then ruled that the emissions endangered public welfare, but the White House refused to sign off on the decision, leaving it in regulatory limbo until the Obama administration took office last January.
"The threat is real,” [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson] said. “Climate change has now become a household issue.”
Monday’s ruling forces the EPA to begin mandating greenhouse gas emissions reductions from industrial polluters like power plants, factories, and auto makers. The EPA, Jackson said, “is now authorized and obligated to make reasonable efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Energy Act.”
The EPA announcement comes two and half years after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Bush administration to reconsider whether greenhouse gas emissions are pollutants. The EPA then ruled that the emissions endangered public welfare, but the White House refused to sign off on the decision, leaving it in regulatory limbo until the Obama administration took office last January.
And from the Washington Post:
"There are no more excuses for delay," [Jackson] said. "This administration will not ignore science and the law any longer.Jackson will speak at the U.N.-sponsored climate conference Wednesday; her address is titled "Taking Action at Home." President Obama, who will attend the end of the U.N. talks Dec. 18, has sent a series of recent signals to the international community that the United States will curb its carbon output as part of a new global climate deal. The endangerment finding stems from a 2007 Supreme Court decision in which the court ordered the EPA to determine whether greenhouse gases qualify as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. It could trigger a series of federal regulations affecting polluters, from vehicles to coal-fired power plants.
"There are no more excuses for delay," [Jackson] said. "This administration will not ignore science and the law any longer.
Jackson will speak at the U.N.-sponsored climate conference Wednesday; her address is titled "Taking Action at Home." President Obama, who will attend the end of the U.N. talks Dec. 18, has sent a series of recent signals to the international community that the United States will curb its carbon output as part of a new global climate deal.
The endangerment finding stems from a 2007 Supreme Court decision in which the court ordered the EPA to determine whether greenhouse gases qualify as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. It could trigger a series of federal regulations affecting polluters, from vehicles to coal-fired power plants.
The Senate concluded its first full week of debate on the health reform bill yesterday -- a busy week that saw lawmakers working through the weekend. In addition to debate, voting began on the first of almost one hundred potential amendments that have been offered up so far. Early amendments covered a range of issues, from preventive care to home health benefits, as well as a proposal by Republicans that would have effectively ended the debate and sent the bill back to committee.
The Democrats.org blog has a post up recapping some of the early action.
From USA Today:
President Obama used a rare meeting on Capitol Hill on Sunday to urge Senate Democrats to consider the historic significance of revamping the nation's health care system as his legislation faced a crucial second week of debate…“That wasn't a negotiation, that was a pep talk," Obama said later. "They're doing great..."Still, divisions remain in the Democratic caucus over how to structure the proposed government insurance program, known as the public option. Moderates, such as Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., oppose the idea while Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other liberals say it is necessary to provide competition to private insurance companies.Lieberman said Obama, who was joined by Vice President Biden, did not discuss the issue in detail Sunday despite a new proposal circulating among senators to create non-profit insurance plans administered by the federal government. Lieberman said he is waiting to see details of the idea…"Progress is being made and that's not just talk," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said after leaving the meeting with Obama…
President Obama used a rare meeting on Capitol Hill on Sunday to urge Senate Democrats to consider the historic significance of revamping the nation's health care system as his legislation faced a crucial second week of debate…
“That wasn't a negotiation, that was a pep talk," Obama said later. "They're doing great..."
Still, divisions remain in the Democratic caucus over how to structure the proposed government insurance program, known as the public option. Moderates, such as Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., oppose the idea while Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other liberals say it is necessary to provide competition to private insurance companies.
Lieberman said Obama, who was joined by Vice President Biden, did not discuss the issue in detail Sunday despite a new proposal circulating among senators to create non-profit insurance plans administered by the federal government. Lieberman said he is waiting to see details of the idea…
"Progress is being made and that's not just talk," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said after leaving the meeting with Obama…
From Bloomberg:
The Obama administration expects the cost of the Troubled Asset Relief Program to be $200 billion less than projected, helping to reduce the size of the budget deficit, a Treasury Department official said yesterday.The administration forecast in August that the TARP would ultimately cost $341 billion, once banks had repaid the government for capital injections and other investments. Congress authorized $700 billion for the program in October 2008.Banks have paid back $71 billion so far, and a planned repayment by Bank of America Corp. would bring that figure to $116 billion. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in an interview last week that he expects the TARP to get as much as $175 billion in repayments from banks by the end of 2010.“The fact that they are spending less TARP money means that recovery is better and stronger than expected, and that’s all positive for growth,” said Mitul Kotecha, Hong Kong-based head of global foreign-exchange strategy at Calyon, the investment banking unit of France’s Credit Agricole SA. “It shows that things are progressing in the right direction…”
The Obama administration expects the cost of the Troubled Asset Relief Program to be $200 billion less than projected, helping to reduce the size of the budget deficit, a Treasury Department official said yesterday.
The administration forecast in August that the TARP would ultimately cost $341 billion, once banks had repaid the government for capital injections and other investments. Congress authorized $700 billion for the program in October 2008.
Banks have paid back $71 billion so far, and a planned repayment by Bank of America Corp. would bring that figure to $116 billion. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in an interview last week that he expects the TARP to get as much as $175 billion in repayments from banks by the end of 2010.
“The fact that they are spending less TARP money means that recovery is better and stronger than expected, and that’s all positive for growth,” said Mitul Kotecha, Hong Kong-based head of global foreign-exchange strategy at Calyon, the investment banking unit of France’s Credit Agricole SA. “It shows that things are progressing in the right direction…”
From Burnt Orange:
It's heartbreaking to think that in a nation as wealthy as ours, there are so many folks struggling to meet their most basic needs here in our communities.Luckily, here in Central Texas, some of our grassroots volunteers have put together a way to make a difference for some needy families. A group of activists, working with Organizing for America, Texans for Obama, and the Travis County Democratic Party, have organized a really wonderful "HOPE for the Holidays" project to encourage our local volunteers to help many folks in need across Central Texas this winter. These all-star volunteers have partnered with non-profits and faith-based organizations across our city to help under-served communities have a happy holiday season.Tube socks. Sleeping bags. A chocolate bar. The very basic things that folks across our community have asked for is humbling. A bus pass. Gloves. Gas cards. Children's shoes. Very basic necessities-even food and underwear…Rosanne, one of the organizers, said that as she collected the lists of needed items, it was hard to see the desperate level of need of many folks in our community. "The bad part about this is that I see this stuff, and I just want to buy everything these people ask for. I am so blessed…”
It's heartbreaking to think that in a nation as wealthy as ours, there are so many folks struggling to meet their most basic needs here in our communities.
Luckily, here in Central Texas, some of our grassroots volunteers have put together a way to make a difference for some needy families. A group of activists, working with Organizing for America, Texans for Obama, and the Travis County Democratic Party, have organized a really wonderful "HOPE for the Holidays" project to encourage our local volunteers to help many folks in need across Central Texas this winter. These all-star volunteers have partnered with non-profits and faith-based organizations across our city to help under-served communities have a happy holiday season.
Tube socks. Sleeping bags. A chocolate bar. The very basic things that folks across our community have asked for is humbling. A bus pass. Gloves. Gas cards. Children's shoes. Very basic necessities-even food and underwear…
Rosanne, one of the organizers, said that as she collected the lists of needed items, it was hard to see the desperate level of need of many folks in our community. "The bad part about this is that I see this stuff, and I just want to buy everything these people ask for. I am so blessed…”
With the Senate preparing to enter its second full week of debate on health reform legislation, President Obama made a visit to Capitol Hill today to urge Senate Democrats to seize this moment and answer the call of history. The New York Times reported:
President Obama exhorted Senate Democrats on Sunday to put aside their fierce policy differences and to make history by passing landmark health care legislation.Making a rare Sunday visit to the Capitol as Republicans and Democrats spent the weekend clashing over the health care bill on the Senate floor, Mr. Obama urged the Democrats in a private meeting “to finish the job” and warned that the “most costly outcome for all is a failure to finish,” according to officials in the room.“His message was very simple,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the assistant majority leader. “He reminded us why we are here. He reminded us why we run for office. And he reminded us how many people are counting on us to come through.”Mr. Durbin added: “He urged us to get the job done and said he is ready to help us.”
Talking Points Memo added:
A number of senators suggested Obama's remarks provided the party and the legislation with much-needed momentum."I think it helped, more than significantly," said Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)."I can tell you, it would be very hard to have listened to the president's presentation and not have been persuaded of the historic importance of what's being discussed here," said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND). "It was a powerful speech."
This weekend, Organizing for America is holding more than 200 trainings with volunteers and community organizers across the country. OFA National Director, Mitch Stewart, came to Cottonwood, Arizona today to participate in our OFA training of Community Organizers and Neighbor Team Leaders. He spoke about how the Obama volunteer model was developed:
For years I worked on campaigns where everything was so top-down. Volunteers were basically punching a clock. When we formulated how we were going to go about then Senator Obama’s presidential campaign, we decided very early on that we were going to create a volunteer model that empowered volunteers and gave them critical leadership roles within the organization.
Volunteers listened intently and shared their experiences on how they had seen this model work with OFA. They asked questions, and Mitch offered his battle tested advice. Coleen, a neighborhood leader who was new to political activism, asked Mitch, “How do you talk to a neighbor who believes the proposed legislation does not go far enough?” Mitch answered that debate is good but at the end of the day we have to remember that the proposed legislation is constantly being worked on, and there is agreement on nearly 80% of what is being proposed. Mitch added that your voice is always stronger when united with others working toward a common goal.
Attendees broke out into small groups and made plans for the next steps they were going to take in their communities. Everyone walked away from the training feeling fired up and ready to get to work.
Trainings will be taking place all weekend long. Click here to find a Sunday training near you.
The Labor Department released its monthly employment survey today, and though the U.S. lost 11,000 jobs in November, that number was nearly 115,000 fewer than was forecast. The overall unemployment rate decreased, and the report found that nearly 160,000 fewer jobs had been lost over the last two months than had been previously thought. The New York Times called this "the strongest employment report since the recession began nearly two years ago."
Speaking at an event in Allentown, Pennsylvania today, President Obama explained:
This is good news, just in time for the season of hope. But I want to keep this in perspective. We still have a long way to go. I still consider one job lost one job too many. And as I said yesterday at a jobs conference in Washington, good trends don't pay the rent. We need to grow jobs and get America back to work as quickly as we can.The journey from here will not be without setbacks or struggle. There will be more bumps in the road. But the direction is clear. When you think about how this year began, today’s report is a welcome sign that there are better days ahead.
This is good news, just in time for the season of hope. But I want to keep this in perspective. We still have a long way to go. I still consider one job lost one job too many. And as I said yesterday at a jobs conference in Washington, good trends don't pay the rent. We need to grow jobs and get America back to work as quickly as we can.
The journey from here will not be without setbacks or struggle. There will be more bumps in the road. But the direction is clear. When you think about how this year began, today’s report is a welcome sign that there are better days ahead.
Following yesterday's White House Forum on Jobs and Growth, the President is scheduled to speak next Tuesday about the proposals he will be sending to Congress to help jumpstart private sector hiring and get Americans back to work.
The Hill:
President Barack Obama backed a push for job creation measures despite long-term concerns about the deficit at a White House jobs summit Thursday. One day ahead of an unemployment report expected to show the jobless rate still in double digits, Obama called on business executives, labor leaders and economic experts who attended the summit to deliver a message to politicians skeptical of more spending. The president argued that the immediate concern for lawmakers should be over unemployment, not curtailing spending and other measures that were aimed at rebuilding the economy. Obama is expected to press for more action on the employment front when he visits Allentown, Pa., for a jobs event Friday and gives a speech on the economy at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday…The White House billed Thursday's "Forum on Jobs & Economic Growth" as a chance for the president to solicit ideas to include in the coming jobs bill. Obama voiced support for a number of ideas, including increased credit for small businesses and fiscal aid for state and local governments… "So we've got about as difficult a economic play as is possible, which is to press the accelerator in terms of job growth, but then know when to apply the brakes in the out years and do that credibly," he said…
President Barack Obama backed a push for job creation measures despite long-term concerns about the deficit at a White House jobs summit Thursday.
One day ahead of an unemployment report expected to show the jobless rate still in double digits, Obama called on business executives, labor leaders and economic experts who attended the summit to deliver a message to politicians skeptical of more spending. The president argued that the immediate concern for lawmakers should be over unemployment, not curtailing spending and other measures that were aimed at rebuilding the economy.
Obama is expected to press for more action on the employment front when he visits Allentown, Pa., for a jobs event Friday and gives a speech on the economy at the Brookings Institution on Tuesday…
The White House billed Thursday's "Forum on Jobs & Economic Growth" as a chance for the president to solicit ideas to include in the coming jobs bill. Obama voiced support for a number of ideas, including increased credit for small businesses and fiscal aid for state and local governments…
"So we've got about as difficult a economic play as is possible, which is to press the accelerator in terms of job growth, but then know when to apply the brakes in the out years and do that credibly," he said…
New York Times editorial:
The health insurance industry frightened Americans — and gave Republicans a shrill talking point — when it declared in October that proposed reform legislation would drive up insurance costs for virtually everyone by as much as thousands of dollars a year. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office persuasively contradicted that claim this week. Undaunted, the industry issued a rebuttal report, claiming again that premiums would soar. We find this second industry report no more persuasive than the first. In its long-awaited study, the C.B.O. estimates that most Americans would pay the same or less in premiums in 2016, after reforms have kicked in, than they would pay under current law. Those who work for large employers (more than 50 workers) would, on average, see their premiums hold steady or drop by up to 3 percent per person covered. Those who work for small employers would also not see much change — anywhere from a 1 percent increase to a 2 percent reduction... ...And we have far more confidence in the C.B.O.’s expertise in evaluating a wide array of databases and in its objectivity. The chief message Americans should derive from the C.B.O.’s analysis is that tens of millions of uninsured Americans can be covered without driving up costs for everyone else.
The health insurance industry frightened Americans — and gave Republicans a shrill talking point — when it declared in October that proposed reform legislation would drive up insurance costs for virtually everyone by as much as thousands of dollars a year. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office persuasively contradicted that claim this week.
Undaunted, the industry issued a rebuttal report, claiming again that premiums would soar. We find this second industry report no more persuasive than the first.
In its long-awaited study, the C.B.O. estimates that most Americans would pay the same or less in premiums in 2016, after reforms have kicked in, than they would pay under current law. Those who work for large employers (more than 50 workers) would, on average, see their premiums hold steady or drop by up to 3 percent per person covered. Those who work for small employers would also not see much change — anywhere from a 1 percent increase to a 2 percent reduction...
...And we have far more confidence in the C.B.O.’s expertise in evaluating a wide array of databases and in its objectivity. The chief message Americans should derive from the C.B.O.’s analysis is that tens of millions of uninsured Americans can be covered without driving up costs for everyone else.
Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist:
Healthcare reform hangs in the balance. Its fate rests with a handful of “centrist” senators — senators who claim to be mainly worried about whether the proposed legislation is fiscally responsible.But if they’re really concerned with fiscal responsibility, they shouldn’t be worried about what would happen if health reform passes. They should, instead, be worried about what would happen if it doesn’t pass. For America can’t get control of its budget without controlling health care costs — and this is our last, best chance to deal with these costs in a rational way...First, the uninsured in America are, on average, relatively young and healthy; covering them wouldn’t raise overall health care costs very much.Second, the proposed health care reform links the expansion of coverage to serious cost-control measures for Medicare. Think of it as a grand bargain: coverage for (almost) everyone, tied to an effort to ensure that health care dollars are well spent.Are we talking about real savings, or just window dressing? Well, the health care economists I respect are seriously impressed by the cost-control measures in the Senate bill, which include efforts to improve incentives for cost-effective care, the use of medical research to guide doctors toward treatments that actually work, and more…The fact that we’re seeing the first really serious attempt to control health care costs as part of a bill that tries to cover the uninsured seems to confirm what would-be reformers have been saying for years: The path to cost control runs through universality. We can only tackle out-of-control costs as part of a deal that also provides Americans with the security of guaranteed health care.
Healthcare reform hangs in the balance. Its fate rests with a handful of “centrist” senators — senators who claim to be mainly worried about whether the proposed legislation is fiscally responsible.
But if they’re really concerned with fiscal responsibility, they shouldn’t be worried about what would happen if health reform passes. They should, instead, be worried about what would happen if it doesn’t pass. For America can’t get control of its budget without controlling health care costs — and this is our last, best chance to deal with these costs in a rational way...
First, the uninsured in America are, on average, relatively young and healthy; covering them wouldn’t raise overall health care costs very much.
Second, the proposed health care reform links the expansion of coverage to serious cost-control measures for Medicare. Think of it as a grand bargain: coverage for (almost) everyone, tied to an effort to ensure that health care dollars are well spent.
Are we talking about real savings, or just window dressing? Well, the health care economists I respect are seriously impressed by the cost-control measures in the Senate bill, which include efforts to improve incentives for cost-effective care, the use of medical research to guide doctors toward treatments that actually work, and more…
The fact that we’re seeing the first really serious attempt to control health care costs as part of a bill that tries to cover the uninsured seems to confirm what would-be reformers have been saying for years: The path to cost control runs through universality. We can only tackle out-of-control costs as part of a deal that also provides Americans with the security of guaranteed health care.
Today's White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth is underway now -- you can follow along throughout the afternoon at WhiteHouse.gov/live.
UPDATED: WhiteHouse.gov is currently streaming six different breakout sessions. Follow along at:
Green Jobs: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/innovation-agenda-and-green-jobs-future
Exports: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/expanding-job-opportunities-american-workers-through-exports
Small Business: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/paving-road-small-business-job-growth
Infrastructure: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/creating-jobs-through-rebuilding-america-s-infrastructure
Business Investment: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/encouraging-business-competitiveness-and-job-creation
Main Street Workers: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/preparing-workers-and-strengthening-main-street
…Obama convenes a summit here [in Washington] on jobs, then flies Friday to Allentown, PA, for the first in what will be periodic listening tours on the economy. The goal is to develop new spending and tax proposals to help many of the nation's nearly 16 million unemployed people find work in 2010."Though the job losses we were experiencing earlier this year have slowed dramatically, we're still not creating enough new jobs each month to make up for the ones we're losing," Obama said last week. "For families and communities across the country, this recession will not end until we completely turn that tide."The new focus on jobs comes as the first stimulus plan's impact remains unclear. The Obama administration says more than 640,000 jobs have been saved or created by employers who received funds. The Congressional Budget Office this week put the figure at 600,000 to 1.6 million after considering other factors, such as the impact on consumer demand from tax cuts, unemployment insurance extensions and spending by the newly employed. It said unemployment would have been up to 0.9 percentage points higher without the stimulus…
…Obama convenes a summit here [in Washington] on jobs, then flies Friday to Allentown, PA, for the first in what will be periodic listening tours on the economy. The goal is to develop new spending and tax proposals to help many of the nation's nearly 16 million unemployed people find work in 2010.
"Though the job losses we were experiencing earlier this year have slowed dramatically, we're still not creating enough new jobs each month to make up for the ones we're losing," Obama said last week. "For families and communities across the country, this recession will not end until we completely turn that tide."
The new focus on jobs comes as the first stimulus plan's impact remains unclear. The Obama administration says more than 640,000 jobs have been saved or created by employers who received funds. The Congressional Budget Office this week put the figure at 600,000 to 1.6 million after considering other factors, such as the impact on consumer demand from tax cuts, unemployment insurance extensions and spending by the newly employed. It said unemployment would have been up to 0.9 percentage points higher without the stimulus…
A month ago, Donnie Jones, a 40-year-old Republican who lives outside Dallas, told pollsters that he was not sure President Obama had a plan for the war in Afghanistan. But after hearing the president speak Tuesday night, Mr. Jones feels reassured that Mr. Obama not only has a plan, but also one he can generally support.Margaret Gilbert, 62, a Democrat from Portsmouth, Va., told the same pollsters that she did not want the United States to send more troops to Afghanistan. But after listening to Mr. Obama, Ms. Gilbert now believes that he has no choice…Mr. Obama intended his speech on Tuesday at West Point to rally Americans behind his plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and to set an 18-month timetable for starting a withdrawal. And interviews on Wednesday suggested that, while opinions on the war remained wildly diverse, Mr. Obama managed to persuade a significant number of people on both sides of the political aisle, though it was impossible to know how many.Many Democrats who opposed the war said they now understood the need for escalation, in some cases to the point of supporting it. And Republicans who had thought Mr. Obama unwilling or unable to send more troops praised his decision, though many also criticized him for articulating a timetable for bringing troops home…
A month ago, Donnie Jones, a 40-year-old Republican who lives outside Dallas, told pollsters that he was not sure President Obama had a plan for the war in Afghanistan. But after hearing the president speak Tuesday night, Mr. Jones feels reassured that Mr. Obama not only has a plan, but also one he can generally support.
Margaret Gilbert, 62, a Democrat from Portsmouth, Va., told the same pollsters that she did not want the United States to send more troops to Afghanistan. But after listening to Mr. Obama, Ms. Gilbert now believes that he has no choice…
Mr. Obama intended his speech on Tuesday at West Point to rally Americans behind his plan to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan and to set an 18-month timetable for starting a withdrawal. And interviews on Wednesday suggested that, while opinions on the war remained wildly diverse, Mr. Obama managed to persuade a significant number of people on both sides of the political aisle, though it was impossible to know how many.
Many Democrats who opposed the war said they now understood the need for escalation, in some cases to the point of supporting it. And Republicans who had thought Mr. Obama unwilling or unable to send more troops praised his decision, though many also criticized him for articulating a timetable for bringing troops home…
Also from USA Today:
Scaring seniors about losing their Medicare benefits is deceptive and irresponsible, but it's a political winner… it's Republicans who are doing it, and it's as if they're trying to set a new, lower bar for demagoguery. How else to explain why Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a doctor who ought to know better, would warn seniors that the Medicare cuts in the health reform plan being debated in the Senate mean "you're going to die sooner." Or why Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., would plead: "Don't cut Grandma's Medicare…"Tellingly, even the nation's leading advocacy group for the aging, AARP, opposes McCain's amendment, noting that the Senate plan "does not reduce any guaranteed Medicare benefits…"…What's scary isn't what will happen to seniors and their Medicare benefits. They'll be fine. What's frightening is how many people will continue to suffer with bad insurance or none at all if the scare tactics succeed.
Scaring seniors about losing their Medicare benefits is deceptive and irresponsible, but it's a political winner… it's Republicans who are doing it, and it's as if they're trying to set a new, lower bar for demagoguery.
How else to explain why Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., a doctor who ought to know better, would warn seniors that the Medicare cuts in the health reform plan being debated in the Senate mean "you're going to die sooner." Or why Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., would plead: "Don't cut Grandma's Medicare…"
Tellingly, even the nation's leading advocacy group for the aging, AARP, opposes McCain's amendment, noting that the Senate plan "does not reduce any guaranteed Medicare benefits…"
…What's scary isn't what will happen to seniors and their Medicare benefits. They'll be fine. What's frightening is how many people will continue to suffer with bad insurance or none at all if the scare tactics succeed.
From the Lehigh Express Times:
Brew Works co-owner Jeff Fegley said he offers health insurance to his employees because it would be immoral if he didn't.When his family business at the start of this year faced an unaffordable $65,000 cost increase to cover 200 employees, he said, he found a different, cheaper policy -- one that still cost him $15,000 more than he paid last year. He took it."We felt it was the morally right thing to do to continue to offer insurance to our staff," said Fegley, whose family owns the brew pubs and restaurants in the city and Bethlehem."How do I just say, 'I'm not going to let you be on my plan because it would cost too much?'" he asked. "I sleep better at night knowing that, gosh, if something did happen to one of my employees, at least I did what I should."Fegley and other small-business owners in the Lehigh Valley say the U.S. government should adopt a similar standard.Organizing for America, a Democratic National Committee organization that advances President Barack Obama's agenda, held a roundtable on health care reform among five small-business owners Wednesday at Allentown Brew Works. The roundtable was held in advance of Obama's visit Friday to the Lehigh Valley…
Brew Works co-owner Jeff Fegley said he offers health insurance to his employees because it would be immoral if he didn't.
When his family business at the start of this year faced an unaffordable $65,000 cost increase to cover 200 employees, he said, he found a different, cheaper policy -- one that still cost him $15,000 more than he paid last year. He took it.
"We felt it was the morally right thing to do to continue to offer insurance to our staff," said Fegley, whose family owns the brew pubs and restaurants in the city and Bethlehem.
"How do I just say, 'I'm not going to let you be on my plan because it would cost too much?'" he asked. "I sleep better at night knowing that, gosh, if something did happen to one of my employees, at least I did what I should."
Fegley and other small-business owners in the Lehigh Valley say the U.S. government should adopt a similar standard.
Organizing for America, a Democratic National Committee organization that advances President Barack Obama's agenda, held a roundtable on health care reform among five small-business owners Wednesday at Allentown Brew Works. The roundtable was held in advance of Obama's visit Friday to the Lehigh Valley…
This afternoon, President Obama will host a Jobs and Economic Growth Forum at the White House, with many of the discussions and events throughout the day streamed live online at WhiteHouse.gov. The forum is an opportunity for the President and the economic team to hear from some of the leading CEOs, small business owners, labor leaders, nonprofit heads and thinkers about ideas for continuing to grow the economy and put Americans back to work.
The President is scheduled to deliver opening remarks at 1:20 P.M. Eastern. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and the Vice President will also be on hand to speak. Following the opening session, senior administration officials will host discussions on job creation and expanding the economy. WhiteHouse.gov will be providing multi-channel live streams of the breakout sessions throughout the afternoon. Here’s a brief rundown of the discussion groups:
• The Innovation Agenda and Green Jobs of the Future: A breakout group to discuss new and additional ideas for creating green jobs, including through encouraging energy efficiency and investment in renewable technologies. Moderator: Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, Carol Browner
• Paving the Road for Small Business Job Growth: A chance for small business leaders and others to discuss what additional steps would be most effective in encouraging small businesses to taking the next step in hiring. Moderator: Secretary of Treasury, Timothy Geithner and Small Business Administration Administrator, Karen Mills
• Creating Jobs through the Rebuilding of America’s Infrastructure: A breakout group focusing on the best ways to make infrastructure investment a longer term commitment to helping the economy continue on a path to recovery. Moderator: Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood and Director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, Peter Orszag
• Expanding Job Opportunities for American Workers Through Exports: A breakout group focusing on how we can continue to take advantage of the rebound in global trade and how to change the tide from consumption driven to export driven growth. Moderator: Director of the National Economic Council, Lawrence Summers and President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, Fred Hochberg
• Encouraging Business Competitiveness and Job Creation: A substantive discussion on ways to encourage businesses to invest and create jobs. Moderator: Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke and Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, Christina Romer
• Preparing Workers and Strengthening Main Street: A session focusing on the challenges facing main street as it seeks to prosper, grow and create jobs. Moderator: Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis and Director of White House Domestic Policy Council, Melody Barnes
Watch live beginning at 1:20 P.M. Eastern at WhiteHouse.gov/live.
In a live address to the nation last night from the Military Academy in West Point, NY, President Obama laid out his decision for the way forward in Afghanistan. The President committed an additional 30,000 troops to the war, said the era of “blank checks” was over and articulated a clear plan for the transition of responsibility to Afghan security forces.
Here are several excerpts from the President’s remarks. You can read the full text of his address and watch it here.
On how we got to this point in Afghanistan:
Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them -- an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to nothing. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 -- the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda’s terrorist network and to protect our common security. Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy -- and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden -- we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the U.N., a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country. Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war, in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq war is well-known and need not be repeated here. It's enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq war drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention -- and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world…
Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them -- an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to nothing. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 -- the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda’s terrorist network and to protect our common security.
Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy -- and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden -- we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the U.N., a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.
Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war, in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq war is well-known and need not be repeated here. It's enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq war drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention -- and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world…
On the current challenge in Afghanistan and the region:
Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to control additional swaths of territory in Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating attacks of terrorism against the Pakistani people…Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There's no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe havens along the border. And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan security forces and better secure the population. Our new commander in Afghanistan -- General McChrystal -- has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: The status quo is not sustainable…Since 9/11, al Qaeda’s safe havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them. These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies.
Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to control additional swaths of territory in Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating attacks of terrorism against the Pakistani people…
Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There's no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe havens along the border. And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan security forces and better secure the population. Our new commander in Afghanistan -- General McChrystal -- has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: The status quo is not sustainable…
Since 9/11, al Qaeda’s safe havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.
These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies.
On the decision:
I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war now for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources. Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home…If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow…I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. And this danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.
I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war now for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources. Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home…
If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow…
I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. And this danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.
On the way forward:
Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.. To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaeda a safe haven. We must reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan's security forces and government so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan's future…The 30,000 additional troops that I'm announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 -- the fastest possible pace -- so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They'll increase our ability to train competent Afghan security forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans…We will work with our partners, the United Nations, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security. This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over… The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They've been confronted with occupation -- by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand -- America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country… We're in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That's why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border. In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect, and mutual trust…These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.
Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future..
The 30,000 additional troops that I'm announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 -- the fastest possible pace -- so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They'll increase our ability to train competent Afghan security forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans…
We will work with our partners, the United Nations, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security. This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over…
The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They've been confronted with occupation -- by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand -- America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country…
We're in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That's why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.
In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interest, mutual respect, and mutual trust…
These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.
On financing the effort:
As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, or our interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I don't have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I'm mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who -- in discussing our national security -- said, "Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs." Over the past several years, we have lost that balance. We've failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our neighbors and friends are out of work and struggle to pay the bills. Too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we can't simply afford to ignore the price of these wars. All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly $30 billion for the military this year, and I'll work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.
As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, or our interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I don't have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I'm mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who -- in discussing our national security -- said, "Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs."
Over the past several years, we have lost that balance. We've failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our neighbors and friends are out of work and struggle to pay the bills. Too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we can't simply afford to ignore the price of these wars.
All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly $30 billion for the military this year, and I'll work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.
On America’s role in the world:
Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents and great-grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions -- from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank -- that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings. We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades -- a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, and markets open, and billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress and advancing frontiers of human liberty. For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation’s resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for -- what we continue to fight for -- is a better future for our children and grandchildren. And we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity.As a country, we're not as young -- and perhaps not as innocent -- as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. And now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age…It's easy to forget that when this war began, we were united -- bound together by the fresh memory of a horrific attack, and by the determination to defend our homeland and the values we hold dear. I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again. (Applause.) I believe with every fiber of my being that we -- as Americans -- can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment -- they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, as one people…
Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents and great-grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions -- from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank -- that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings.
We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades -- a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, and markets open, and billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress and advancing frontiers of human liberty.
For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation’s resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for -- what we continue to fight for -- is a better future for our children and grandchildren. And we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity.
As a country, we're not as young -- and perhaps not as innocent -- as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. And now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age…
President Obama announced Tuesday that he would speed 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in coming months, but he vowed to start bringing American forces home in the middle of 2011, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment.Promising that he could “bring this war to a successful conclusion,” Mr. Obama set out a strategy that would seek to reverse Taliban gains in large parts of Afghanistan, better protect the Afghan people, increase the pressure on Afghanistan to build its own military capacity and a more effective government and step up attacks on Al Qaeda in Pakistan.“America, we are passing through a time of great trial,” Mr. Obama said. “And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering…”The scene in the hall was striking and somber: row after row of cadets, in their blue-gray uniforms, listening intently to a strategy that could put many of them in harm’s way. “If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow,” Mr. Obama said. “So no, I do not make this decision lightly.” He called on foreign allies to step up their commitment, declaring, “This is not just America’s war.”He delivered a pointed message to Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, saying, “The days of providing a blank check are over.”Addressing critics who have likened Afghanistan to Vietnam, Mr. Obama called the comparison “a false reading of history.” And he spoke directly to the American people about the tough road ahead…
President Obama announced Tuesday that he would speed 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in coming months, but he vowed to start bringing American forces home in the middle of 2011, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment.
Promising that he could “bring this war to a successful conclusion,” Mr. Obama set out a strategy that would seek to reverse Taliban gains in large parts of Afghanistan, better protect the Afghan people, increase the pressure on Afghanistan to build its own military capacity and a more effective government and step up attacks on Al Qaeda in Pakistan.
“America, we are passing through a time of great trial,” Mr. Obama said. “And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering…”
The scene in the hall was striking and somber: row after row of cadets, in their blue-gray uniforms, listening intently to a strategy that could put many of them in harm’s way. “If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow,” Mr. Obama said. “So no, I do not make this decision lightly.” He called on foreign allies to step up their commitment, declaring, “This is not just America’s war.”
He delivered a pointed message to Hamid Karzai, the president of Afghanistan, saying, “The days of providing a blank check are over.”
Addressing critics who have likened Afghanistan to Vietnam, Mr. Obama called the comparison “a false reading of history.” And he spoke directly to the American people about the tough road ahead…
Senators prepared to cast their first votes Wednesday on health-care reform, but even as partisan divisions hardened and contentious amendments stacked up, Democrats increasingly expressed optimism that they would succeed in passing a bill before Christmas…Centrist Democrats, who will probably decide the fate of the bill, appeared to be reassured by a Congressional Budget Office report released Monday refuting insurance industry assertions that the Senate bill would add thousands of dollars to the average family's insurance bill. The CBO found that Reid's package would leave premiums unchanged or slightly lower for most Americans who get coverage through their jobs…Despite their differences, Democrats said they remained optimistic that they can move quickly. "We're all talking to one another right now," Schumer said. "Every Democrat, every single one, wants to get a bill done. Everyone realizes that we're going to have to come together on a whole myriad of different issues."
Senators prepared to cast their first votes Wednesday on health-care reform, but even as partisan divisions hardened and contentious amendments stacked up, Democrats increasingly expressed optimism that they would succeed in passing a bill before Christmas…
Centrist Democrats, who will probably decide the fate of the bill, appeared to be reassured by a Congressional Budget Office report released Monday refuting insurance industry assertions that the Senate bill would add thousands of dollars to the average family's insurance bill. The CBO found that Reid's package would leave premiums unchanged or slightly lower for most Americans who get coverage through their jobs…
Despite their differences, Democrats said they remained optimistic that they can move quickly. "We're all talking to one another right now," Schumer said. "Every Democrat, every single one, wants to get a bill done. Everyone realizes that we're going to have to come together on a whole myriad of different issues."
From CBS News:
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says he's "absolutely supportive" of the 18-month timeline for President Obama's troop surge even if Taliban forces try to wait out the increased U.S. commitment. Gen. Stanley McChrystal told reporters Wednesday that even if the Taliban lay low, the 18-month period allows time to bolster Afghan military and governing capability to make it harder for the militants to return…Shortly after Obama's speech, Gen. Stanley McChrystal told reporters, "I am absolutely supportive of the timeline," and that the time ahead would be used to build up Afghan forces to convince the people of this war-ravaged country that they can eventually take care of their own security. "In a counterinsurgency, what we're really trying to do is protect the people," he said. McChrystal added that if the Afghan government used the time to increase its capabilities "then it makes it much more difficult for the insurgents returning…""I really believe that everybody's got a focus now that's sharper than it was 24 hours ago…"
The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan says he's "absolutely supportive" of the 18-month timeline for President Obama's troop surge even if Taliban forces try to wait out the increased U.S. commitment.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal told reporters Wednesday that even if the Taliban lay low, the 18-month period allows time to bolster Afghan military and governing capability to make it harder for the militants to return…
Shortly after Obama's speech, Gen. Stanley McChrystal told reporters, "I am absolutely supportive of the timeline," and that the time ahead would be used to build up Afghan forces to convince the people of this war-ravaged country that they can eventually take care of their own security.
"In a counterinsurgency, what we're really trying to do is protect the people," he said. McChrystal added that if the Afghan government used the time to increase its capabilities "then it makes it much more difficult for the insurgents returning…"
"I really believe that everybody's got a focus now that's sharper than it was 24 hours ago…"
Here's the full video of last night's speech at West Point:
The independent, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report late Monday on the economic impact of the Recovery Act. The CBO determined that, between its inception in February of this year and the end of September, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has: • Saved or Created up to 1.6 Million Jobs • Added up to 3.2% to the Growth of Real GDP • Reduced the Unemployment Rate by as Much as 0.9 Percentage Points
Earlier today, Vice President Biden released the following statement in response to the report:
“This new report from the Congressional Budget Office is further evidence of what private forecasters and government economists have been saying: the Recovery Act is already responsible for more than 1 million jobs nationwide. From independent economists to Congress’s own nonpartisan research body, the experts have spoken and the debate is no longer whether the Recovery Act is creating and saving jobs, but how we provide even more opportunities to drive growth and support American workers. This early progress less than halfway through the program is encouraging, but we’re just getting started. In the coming months, we’ll break ground on thousands of infrastructure projects, launch multi-billion dollar broadband and high speed rail initiatives and make critical investments in our nation’s schools and businesses through the Recovery Act that will help put America back to work and lay a foundation for long-term economic growth.”
Every December 1st, since 1988, people around the globe have united behind World AIDS Day in an effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. Last week, President Obama released a presidential proclamation in support of World AIDS Day, encouraging to join in remembering those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease:
Our Nation joins the world in celebrating the extraordinary advancements we have made in the battle against HIV and AIDS, and remembering those we have lost. Over the past three decades, brave men and women have fought devastating discrimination, stigma, doubt, and violence as they stood in the face of this deadly disease. Many of them would not be here today, but for the dedication of other persons living with HIV, their loved ones and families, community advocates, and members of the medical profession. On World AIDS Day, we rededicate ourselves to developing a national AIDS strategy that will establish the priorities necessary to combat this devastating epidemic at home, and to renewing our leadership role and commitments abroad.Though we have been witness to incredible progress, our struggle against HIV/AIDS is far from over. With an infection occurring every nine-and-a-half minutes in America, there are more than one million individuals estimated to be living with the disease in our country. Of those currently infected, one in five does not know they have the condition, and the majority of new infections are spread by people who are unaware of their own status. HIV/AIDS does not discriminate as it infiltrates neighborhoods and communities. Americans of any gender, age, ethnicity, income, or sexual orientation can and are contracting the disease.Globally, there are over 33 million people living with HIV. While millions have died from this disease, the death rate is slowly declining due, in part, to our Nation's global effort through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. However, HIV remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Women and children around the world are particularly vulnerable due to gender inequalities, gaps in access to services, and increases in sexual violence. While the statistics are distressing, new medications and scientific advancements give us reason for hope.Tackling this disease will take an aggressive, steadfast approach. My Administration is developing a national HIV/AIDS strategy to bolster our response to the domestic epidemic, and a global health initiative that will build on PEPFAR's success. We will develop a strategy to reduce HIV incidence, improve access to care, and help eliminate HIV-related health disparities. We have already ensured that visitors to our shores living with HIV are not marginalized and discriminated against because of their HIV status. We have also secured the continuation of critical HIV/AIDS care and treatment services. Today, we recommit ourselves to building on the accomplishments of the past decades that have dramatically changed the domestic and global HIV/AIDS landscape.NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 1, 2009, as World AIDS Day. I urge the Governors of the States and the territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join in appropriate activities to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.BARACK OBAMA
Our Nation joins the world in celebrating the extraordinary advancements we have made in the battle against HIV and AIDS, and remembering those we have lost. Over the past three decades, brave men and women have fought devastating discrimination, stigma, doubt, and violence as they stood in the face of this deadly disease. Many of them would not be here today, but for the dedication of other persons living with HIV, their loved ones and families, community advocates, and members of the medical profession. On World AIDS Day, we rededicate ourselves to developing a national AIDS strategy that will establish the priorities necessary to combat this devastating epidemic at home, and to renewing our leadership role and commitments abroad.Though we have been witness to incredible progress, our struggle against HIV/AIDS is far from over. With an infection occurring every nine-and-a-half minutes in America, there are more than one million individuals estimated to be living with the disease in our country. Of those currently infected, one in five does not know they have the condition, and the majority of new infections are spread by people who are unaware of their own status. HIV/AIDS does not discriminate as it infiltrates neighborhoods and communities. Americans of any gender, age, ethnicity, income, or sexual orientation can and are contracting the disease.Globally, there are over 33 million people living with HIV. While millions have died from this disease, the death rate is slowly declining due, in part, to our Nation's global effort through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program. However, HIV remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Women and children around the world are particularly vulnerable due to gender inequalities, gaps in access to services, and increases in sexual violence. While the statistics are distressing, new medications and scientific advancements give us reason for hope.Tackling this disease will take an aggressive, steadfast approach. My Administration is developing a national HIV/AIDS strategy to bolster our response to the domestic epidemic, and a global health initiative that will build on PEPFAR's success. We will develop a strategy to reduce HIV incidence, improve access to care, and help eliminate HIV-related health disparities. We have already ensured that visitors to our shores living with HIV are not marginalized and discriminated against because of their HIV status. We have also secured the continuation of critical HIV/AIDS care and treatment services. Today, we recommit ourselves to building on the accomplishments of the past decades that have dramatically changed the domestic and global HIV/AIDS landscape.NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 1, 2009, as World AIDS Day. I urge the Governors of the States and the territories subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, and the American people to join in appropriate activities to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and to provide support and comfort to those living with this disease.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.BARACK OBAMA
