Securing a Better Bargain for the Middle Class
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/08/03/weekly-address-securing-better-bargain-middle-class?utm_source=snapshot&utm_medium=email&utm_content=080313-topper
WASHINGTON,
DC— In this week’s address,
President Obama told the American people that his plan for creating a better
bargain for the middle class builds on the progress we’ve made, fighting our
way back from the worst economic recession of our lifetimes. The President
underscored the need for Congress to end the logjam in Washington
and act on his plan that strengthens the cornerstones of what it means to be
middle class in America:
a good job, a home that is your own, affordable health care, and a secure retirement.
The audio of the address and video of the address will be
available online at www.whitehouse.gov
at 6:00 a.m. ET, August 3, 2013.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
August 3, 2013
Hi, everybody. This
week, I went down to an Amazon warehouse in Tennessee to talk more about what we need to
do to secure a better bargain for the middle class – to make sure that anyone
who works hard can get ahead in the 21st century economy.
Over the past four and a half years, we’ve fought our way
back from the worst recession of our lifetimes and begun to lay a foundation
for stronger, more durable economic growth.
Today, our businesses have created 7.3 million new jobs over the last 41
months. We now sell more products made in
America
to the rest of the world than ever before.
Health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years, and our
deficits are falling at the fastest rate in 60 years.
But as any middle-class family will tell you, we’re not
where we need to be yet. Even before the
crisis hit, we were living through a decade where a few at the top were doing
better and better, while most families were working harder and harder just to
get by.
Reversing this trend must be Washington’s highest priority. It’s certainly mine. But too often over the past two years, Washington has taken its
eye off the ball. They’ve allowed an
endless parade of political posturing and phony scandals to distract from
growing our economy and strengthening the middle class.
That’s why I’m laying out my ideas for how we can build on
the cornerstones of what it means to be middle class in America. A good education. A home of your own. Health care when you get sick. A secure retirement even if you’re not
rich. And the most important cornerstone
of all: a good job in a durable, growing industry.
When it comes to creating more good jobs that pay decent
wages, the problem is not a lack of ideas.
Plenty of independent economists, business owners and people from both
parties agree on what we have to do. I
proposed many of these ideas two years ago in the American Jobs Act. And this week, I put forward common-sense
proposals for how we can create more jobs in manufacturing; in wind, solar and
natural gas; and by rebuilding America’s
infrastructure.
What we’re lacking is action from Washington.
And that’s why, in addition to proposing ideas that we know will grow
our economy, I’ve also put forward a strategy for breaking through the Washington logjam – a
“grand bargain” for the middle class.
I’m willing to work with Republicans to simplify our tax
code for businesses large and small, but only if we take the money we save by
transitioning to a simpler tax system and make a significant investment in
creating good, middle-class jobs. We can
put construction workers back on the job rebuilding our infrastructure. We can boost manufacturing, so more American
companies can sell their products around the world. And we can help our community colleges arm
our workers with the skills they need in a global economy – all without adding
a dime to the deficit.
I’ll keep laying out my ideas to give the middle class a
better shot in the 21st century, and I’ll keep reaching out to Republicans for
theirs. But gutting critical investments
in our future and threatening national default on the bills that Congress has
already racked up – that’s not an economic plan. Denying health care to millions of Americans,
or shutting down the government just because I’m for keeping it open – that
won’t help the middle class.
The truth is, there are no gimmicks when it comes to
creating jobs. There are no tricks to
grow the economy. Reversing the long
erosion of middle-class security in this country won’t be easy. But if we work together and take a few bold
steps – and if Washington
is willing to set aside politics and focus on what really matters – we can grow
our economy and give the middle class a better bargain. And together, we can make this country a
place where everyone who works hard can get ahead.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.