Weekly Address: Working Together to Extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts

Published on Nov 17, 2012 by whitehouse

President Obama urges Congress to act now on one thing that everyone agrees on -- ensuring that taxes don't go up on 98 percent of all Americans and 97 percent of small businesses at the end of the year. On Friday, the President had a constructive meeting with Congressional leaders on finding ways to reduce our deficit in a way that strengthens our economy and protects our middle class, and he looks forward to working together to get this done.

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The Presidential Address October 13, 2012

The following is the transcript of the Presidential address - October 13, 2012

Hi Everybody,
Every year around this time, American car companies start rolling out their newest, shiniest models, hoping to entice you into buying one. It's Detroit's chance to show you what they have been working on, the latest and greatest, and this year is no exception. They got some pretty good looking cars coming out. But something is different this time around and it starts with the auto companies themselves. Just a few years ago, the auto industry wasn't just struggling, it was flat-lining. GM and Chrysler were on the verge of collapse. Suppliers and distributors were at risk going under. More than a million jobs across the country were on the line and not just auto jobs,  but jobs of teachers, small business owners and everyone in communities that depend on this great American industry. But we refused to throw in the towel and do nothing. We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt.  I bet on American workers and American ingenuity and 3 years later, that bet is paying off in a big way. Today, auto sales are the highest they've been in 4 years. GM is back. Ford and Chrysler are growing again. Together, our auto industry has created a quarter of a million new jobs right here in America. And we're just not making more cars and trucks. We're making better ones. After 30 years of inaction, we raised fuel standards, so that by the middle of the next decade, cars and light trucks will average almost 55 miles per gallon, nearly double what they get today. This means that you will only have to fill up every two weeks, instead of every week. It's good for your wallet, it's good for our economy, and it's good for the environment.
The technology that makes it happen will also help America to stay on the cutting edge for decades to come. Just this week, GM announced that they planned to hire 1,500 workers for a new research center in Michigan to help make sure that the high tech cars of tomorrow are designed and built right here in America.
I've also signed new bi-partisan trade agreements into law, because I want to see more cars on the road in places like South Korea, imported from Detroit, and Toledo and Chicago.  All of this is something the American people can and should be proud of. It's a reminder, that when the American people put their mind to something, there is nothing we can't do. So the next time you see one of those brand new 2013 models on TV, or on the lot, think about how far we've come together. Think about how, thanks to the hard work and the can-do spirit of the American people, more of those cars and trucks are being manufactured by American workers, and American companies, in communities all accross the country and they are going to save you more money at the pump.
That is what America's all about. When we get knocked down, we get back up. We come back stronger and as long as I'm President, that's what we will keep doing.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.

The weekly address can be found at the following link...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/weekly-address

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Weekly Address: Reining in Budget Deficits

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President Obama Weekly Address August 15, 2009

Real Conversations about Health Insurance Reform

Full transcript here.

These are legitimate differences worthy of the real discussion that America deserves – one where we lower our voices, listen to one another, and talk about differences that really exist. Because while there may be disagreements over how to go about it, there is widespread agreement on the urgent need to reform a broken system and finally hold insurance companies accountable.

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Obama weekly address

Watch Obama's latest address to the nation.

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Judge Sotomayor's Opening Statement

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TUESDAY, JULY 14TH, 2009 AT 10:14 AM
Judge Sotomayor's Opening Statement

Posted by Cammie Croft

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee kicked off the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor. In her opening statement, Judge Sotomayor pledged a "fidelity to the law:"


In the past month, many Senators have asked me about my judicial philosophy. It is simple: fidelity to the law. The task of a judge is not to make the law -- it is to apply the law. And it is clear, I believe, that my record in two courts reflects my rigorous commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its terms; interpreting statutes according to their terms and Congress's intent; and hewing faithfully to precedents established by the Supreme Court and my Circuit Court. In each case I have heard, I have applied the law to the facts at hand.

Check out the full video of Judge Sotomayor's opening statement here:



Judge Sotomayor's confirmation hearings continue today with the first round of questioning. For the last 17 years, Judge Sotomayor has approached judging from the real world. You'll see this down-to-earth style throughout the hearings -- with direct and precise answers. You can learn more about Judge Sotomayor throughout Whitehouse.gov:

Judge Sotomayor Slideshow 

Scroll through our candid photogallery of Judge Sotomayor that includes images from her early childhood in the South Bronx and more recent images with her family.

Weekly Address: The Experience of Judge Sotomayor
 
Watch the President discuss Sotomayor's personal and professional experience in the Weekly Address from May 29th, 2009.

Judge Sotomayor's Questionnaire to the Senate Judiciary Committee 

Check out Judge Sotomayor's responses to the Senate Judiciary Committee's questions in a guest blog post by White House Counsel, Greg Craig.

VIDEO: Watch the President's Nomination of Judge Sotomayor 

Take a look back at the President's press conference announcing Judge Sotomayor as his nominee to the Supreme Court.

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Obama Weekly Address

Watch the Weekly Presidential Address as President Obama talks about Health Care Reform, which at the present time is at the top of his agenda. Recently, President Obama returned from a foreign trip. He was away from the U.S. about 1 week, but upon his return, he started working immediately on his health care reform policies. The bill that he will try to pass in Congress shortly should be the hardest legislation that he will try to pass since he became President of the United States. It will be President Obama's first big opportunity to test the high waters that may be lurking for him in the Congress. President Obama is try to do so very much for the country, and it is because there is just so much to do, and he cannot take a break. Vacations are not very frequent for this President, unlike past Presidents. President Bush used to travel to Camp David every weekend for his retreat with his family. His favorite past time was reading, as he became a very avid reader.
Unlike President Bush, President Obama has no time to casually read books. He must tackle the problems that this country is facing now, the same problems that President Bush either started, or the problems that he inherited from past terms of Presidents, but failed to act. So the burden of the leader of the free world is now squarely in the hands of the present President of the United States, Barack Obama.
  Again, listen to his weekly address as he talks about the cost of health care, and what he wants to do about the problem.

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Obama Weekly Address - aboard Air Force One - Returning from G-20 Summit

Aboard Air Force One, President Obama tapes a first mid-air weekly address given to highlight the success of the G-20 Conference in Britain. Below is his address, taped on April 4th as you can hear the steady throttle tones of Air Force One's engines in the background. The G-20 Conference for President Obama was a complete success, as he was able to meet other economic leaders of the world, and come to a common understanding on what must be done to get out of the economic mess facing the world today. Double click on the video and watch it in HD Full Screen.


4/4/20: Your Weekly Address from White House on Vimeo.

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President Obama Weekly Address 3/28/2009

In his weekly address, President Obama sat in his chair and dedicated the address to the flooding victims of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. In this time of disaster, President Obama pledged that the government will be active in providing aid and relief to the victims of the disaster areas ravaged by flooding. He also stressed that especially in times of crisis like the flooding, these are reminders of a need for all Americans to keep the sincerity and dedication to service. This past week, as the Edward M. Kennedy National Service Act was passed by the Senate following similar prior action in the House, which seemed to help rejuvenate the sprirt of hope.

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"Because of what we did" instead of "Yes, we can" Promising to cut the fiscal deficit in half by 2013.

In another bold statement, Barack Obama pledges to cut the fiscal deficit in half by 2013. With his overwhelming spending within just a month of taking office, President Obama signed a $787 billion Economic Stimulus Bill, but still, claims that he will cut the deficit. This is a very interesting statement, leaving him very prone to Conservative comments, as this would mean that he doesn't plan to spend any more money between now and then. How could that be possible?  With this announcement, Presidet Obama is trying to keep alive one of his campaign pledges, which was to roll back the tax cuts that were made by George W. Bush. One thing is for sure, President Obama intends to make it twice as hard for a possible Republican president to unravel his thinking and actions if Obama fails and looses his bid for re-election in 2012. After all, I guess it is fair after considering what President Bush left Obama to deal with when he left office.
Regardless of what he says about the fiscal deficit, President Obama plans to move forward with health care, energy and education.  This was confirmed by Obama's senior advisor David Axelrod, as Axelrod says "These are the bulwark of a strong economy moving forward."
In his very busy schedule these days, President Obama gave his weekly address to the nation, and he outlined what the stimulus package and the home foreclosure plan can do to turn the economy around.  In his very positive message to the people, he changed his campaign message of  'yes we can' to 'because of what we did', as President Obama outlines some of the highlights and benefits of the Economic Stimulus bill that has just been passed. Watch his video below..

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President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address - January 3, 2009

Listen to Barack Obama's weekly address to the nation. The context of his speech immediately follows. This is the very first speech given for the new year. Here he highlights his 'American Recovery and Investment Plan' which is crucial towards recovery of the economy. Follow this link and read a full report that was published by the Neil Peirce in the Seattle Times. The Seattle Times states that the plan will come 'with the power to both fight recession and start building a truly competitive, world-class 21st-century economy. That means immediate action to create new jobs and an early start on investments in crucial infrastructure, renewable energy and information technology to start modernizing our health-care system.'

Remarks of President-elect Barack Obama
Weekly Address
January 3, 2009

As the holiday season comes to end, we are thankful for family and friends and all the blessings that make life worth living. But as we mark the beginning of a new year, we also know that America faces great and growing challenges—challenges that threaten our nation’s economy and our dreams for the future. Nearly two million Americans have lost their jobs this past year—and millions more are working harder in jobs that pay less and come with fewer benefits. For too many families, this new year brings new unease and uncertainty as bills pile up, debts continue to mount and parents worry that their children won’t have the same opportunities they had.

However we got here, the problems we face today are not Democratic problems or Republican problems. The dreams of putting a child through college, or staying in your home, or retiring with dignity and security know no boundaries of party or ideology.

These are America’s problems, and we must come together as Americans to meet them with the urgency this moment demands. Economists from across the political spectrum agree that if we don’t act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double digit unemployment and the American Dream slipping further and further out of reach.

That’s why we need an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that not only creates jobs in the short-term but spurs economic growth and competitiveness in the long-term. And this plan must be designed in a new way—we can’t just fall into the old Washington habit of throwing money at the problem. We must make strategic investments that will serve as a down payment on our long-term economic future. We must demand vigorous oversight and strict accountability for achieving results. And we must restore fiscal responsibility and make the tough choices so that as the economy recovers, the deficit starts to come down. That is how we will achieve the number one goal of my plan—which is to create three million new jobs, more than eighty percent of them in the private sector.

To put people back to work today and reduce our dependence on foreign oil tomorrow, we will double renewable energy production and renovate public buildings to make them more energy efficient. To build a 21st century economy, we must engage contractors across the nation to create jobs rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, and schools. To save not only jobs, but money and lives, we will update and computerize our health care system to cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help reduce health care costs by billions of dollars each year. To make America, and our children, a success in this new global economy, we will build 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries. And to put more money into the pockets of hardworking families, we will provide direct tax relief to 95 percent of American workers.

I look forward to meeting next week in Washington with leaders from both parties to discuss this plan. I am optimistic that if we come together to seek solutions that advance not the interests of any party, or the agenda of any one group, but the aspirations of all Americans, then we will meet the challenges of our time just as previous generations have met the challenges of theirs.

There is no reason we can’t do this. We are a people of boundless industry and ingenuity. We are innovators and entrepreneurs and have the most dedicated and productive workers in the world. And we have always triumphed in moments of trial by drawing on that great American spirit—that perseverance, determination and unyielding commitment to opportunity on which our nation was founded. And in this new year, let us resolve to do so once again. Thank you.
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12/20/08 President Obama's Weekly Address

Another weekly address by President-Elect Barack Obama, he now has name named people to advise him in science and technology. Also, make note the broad sprectrum of experience he has elected to assist him. You can also read along with the video presentation, as the written speech is contained immediately below. (blue font)

In the latest weekly address, President-elect Barack Obama took a bold stand for making decisions based on science and facts rather than ideology as he introduced leading members of his science and technology team.

“The truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources—it’s about protecting free and open inquiry,” President-elect Obama said. “It’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It’s about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it’s inconvenient—especially when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. That will be my goal as President of the United States—and I could not have a better team to guide me in this work.”

President-elect Obama announced his appointment of Dr. John Holdren as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). He also announced Dr. Harold Varmus and Dr. Eric Lander as the other co-chairs of PCAST, which the President-elect said he hopes will be “a vigorous external advisory council that will shape my thinking on the scientific aspects of my policy priorities.” Addtionally, he named Dr. Jane Lubchenco as his choice to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“I am confident that if we recommit ourselves to discovery,” President-elect Obama said,” if we support science education to create the next generation of scientists and engineers right here in America; if we have the vision to believe and invest in things unseen, then we can lead the world into a new future of peace and prosperity.”

Saturday, December 20, 2008 06:00am EST / Posted by Dave Rochelson

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Remarks of the President-Elect Barack Obama
Science Team Rollout Radio Address
Friday, December 17, 2008
Chicago, Illinois,

Over the past few weeks, Vice President-Elect Biden and I have announced some of the leaders who will advise us as we seek to meet America’s twenty-first century challenges, from strengthening our security, to rebuilding our economy, to preserving our planet for our children and grandchildren. Today, I am pleased to announce members of my science and technology team whose work will be critical to these efforts.

Whether it’s the science to slow global warming; the technology to protect our troops and confront bioterror and weapons of mass destruction; the research to find life-saving cures; or the innovations to remake our industries and create twenty-first century jobs—today, more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and prosperity as a nation. It is time we once again put science at the top of our agenda and worked to restore America’s place as the world leader in science and technology.

Right now, in labs, classrooms and companies across America, our leading minds are hard at work chasing the next big idea, on the cusp of breakthroughs that could revolutionize our lives. But history tells us that they cannot do it alone. From landing on the moon, to sequencing the human genome, to inventing the Internet, America has been the first to cross that new frontier because we had leaders who paved the way: leaders like President Kennedy, who inspired us to push the boundaries of the known world and achieve the impossible; leaders who not only invested in our scientists, but who respected the integrity of the scientific process.

Because the truth is that promoting science isn’t just about providing resources—it’s about protecting free and open inquiry. It’s about ensuring that facts and evidence are never twisted or obscured by politics or ideology. It’s about listening to what our scientists have to say, even when it’s inconvenient—especially when it’s inconvenient. Because the highest purpose of science is the search for knowledge, truth and a greater understanding of the world around us. That will be my goal as President of the United States—and I could not have a better team to guide me in this work.

Dr. John Holdren has agreed to serve as Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. John is a professor and Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, as well as President and Director of the Woods Hole Research Center. A physicist renowned for his work on climate and energy, he’s received numerous honors and awards for his contributions and has been one of the most passionate and persistent voices of our time about the growing threat of climate change. I look forward to his wise counsel in the years ahead.

John will also serve as a Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology—or PCAST—as will Dr. Harold Varmus and Dr. Eric Lander. Together, they will work to remake PCAST into a vigorous external advisory council that will shape my thinking on the scientific aspects of my policy priorities.

Dr. Varmus is no stranger to this work. He is not just a path-breaking scientist, having won a Nobel Prize for his research on the causes of cancer—he also served as Director of the National Institutes of Health during the Clinton Administration. I am grateful he has answered the call to serve once again.

Dr. Eric Lander is the Founding Director of the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard and was one of the driving forces behind mapping the human genome—one of the greatest scientific achievements in history. I know he will be a powerful voice in my Administration as we seek to find the causes and cures of our most devastating diseases.

Finally, Dr. Jane Lubchenco has accepted my nomination as the Administrator of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is devoted to conserving our marine and coastal resources and monitoring our weather. An internationally known environmental scientist and ecologist and former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Jane has advised the President and Congress on scientific matters, and I am confident she will provide passionate and dedicated leadership at NOAA.

Working with these leaders, we will seek to draw on the power of science to both meet our challenges across the globe and revitalize our economy here at home. And I’ll be speaking more after the New Year about how my Administration will engage leaders in the technology community and harness technology and innovation to create jobs, enhance America’s competitiveness and advance our national priorities.

I am confident that if we recommit ourselves to discovery; if we support science education to create the next generation of scientists and engineers right here in America; if we have the vision to believe and invest in things unseen, then we can lead the world into a new future of peace and prosperity.

Thank you.

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Barack Obama - Weekly Address to the People

Which past President has been called the 'Great Communicator'?. Republicans would be happy to know that it is the very popular Ronald Reagan. But wait just one minute. In the making is the next President of the United States, Barack Obama as he communicates with the American people even before he has been inaugurated. When you listen to his weekly speeches like the one below, you can just feel his sense of urgency in his upcoming ajenda. Yes, Barack Obama just doesn't represent 'Change', but he represents 'hope', and I will make the prediction here and now that he will become one of the most popular President's in America's history. So many people take time out of their day to listen what he has to say. His popularity rating right now is 'going through the roof', and he has gained peoples respect in just a few short weeks by people who didn't even vote for him. He has demonstrated how he plans to initiate change by beginning early to select people in his Cabinet and talk about the change that needs to come to America.
You will truly learn what Barack Obama is all about when he becomes President in January. As you watch and listen to all of the things he plans to do to help build jobs and fix the economy, you can listen to his heart and discover how sincere he is by watching the video below. I can remember Presidents all the way back to John F. Kennedy, but I have yet to notice a President as fluent, sincere, and passionate, who has the intellect needed to act as Commander and Chief who's main purpose as President is to make every citizens future number 1 on his ajenda.

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