[House Document 112-51]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
112th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document
112-51
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS BEFORE A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
__________
MESSAGE
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
AN ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
September 9, 2011.--Message and accompanying papers referred to the
Committee on the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to
be printed
To the Congress of the United States:
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, and
fellow Americans:
Tonight we meet at an urgent time for our country. We
continue to face an economic crisis that has left millions of
our neighbors jobless, and a political crisis that has made
things worse.
This past week, reporters have been asking ``What will this
speech mean for the President? What will it mean for Congress?
How will it affect their polls, and the next election?''
But the millions of Americans who are watching right now:
they don't care about politics. They have real life concerns.
Many have spent months looking for work. Others are doing their
best just to scrape by--giving up nights out with the family to
save on gas or make the mortgage; postponing retirement to send
a kid to college.
These men and women grew up with faith in an America where
hard work and responsibility paid off. They believed in a
country where everyone gets a fair shake and does their fair
share--where if you stepped up, did your job, and were loyal to
your company, that loyalty would be rewarded with a decent
salary and good benefits; maybe a raise once in awhile. If you
did the right thing, you could make it in America.
But for decades now, Americans have watched that compact
erode. They have seen the deck too often stacked against them.
And they know that Washington hasn't always put their interests
first.
The people of this country work hard to meet their
responsibilities. The question tonight is whether we'll meet
ours. The question is whether, in the face of an ongoing
national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually
do something to help the economy; whether we can restore some
of the fairness and security that has defined this nation since
our beginning.
Those of us here tonight can't solve all of our nation's
woes. Ultimately, our recovery will be driven not by
Washington, but by our businesses and our workers. But we can
help. We can make a difference. There are steps we can take
right now to improve people's lives.
I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass
right away. It's called the American Jobs Act. There should be
nothing controversial about this piece of legislation.
Everything in here is the kind of proposal that's been
supported by both Democrats and Republicans--including many who
sit here tonight. And everything in this bill will be paid for.
Everything.
The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more
people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who
are working. It will create more jobs for construction workers,
more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans, and more jobs
for the long-term unemployed. It will provide a tax break for
companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes
in half for every working American and every small business. It
will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give
companies confidence that if they invest and hire, there will
be customers for their products and services. You should pass
this jobs plan right away.
Everyone here knows that small businesses are where most
new jobs begin. And you know that while corporate profits have
come roaring back, smaller companies haven't. So for everyone
who speaks so passionately about making life easier for ``job
creators,'' this plan is for you.
Pass this jobs bill, and starting tomorrow, small
businesses will get a tax cut if they hire new workers or raise
workers' wages. Pass this jobs bill, and all small business
owners will also see their payroll taxes cut in half next year.
If you have 50 employees making an average salary, that's an
$80,000 tax cut. And all businesses will be able to continue
writing off the investments they make in 2012.
It's not just Democrats who have supported this kind of
proposal. Fifty House Republicans have proposed the same
payroll tax cut that's in this plan. You should pass it right
away.
Pass this jobs bill, and we can put people to work
rebuilding America. Everyone here knows that we have badly
decaying roads and bridges all over this country. Our highways
are clogged with traffic. Our skies are the most congested in
the world.
This is inexcusable. Building a world-class transportation
system is part of what made us an economic superpower. And now
we're going to sit back and watch China build newer airports
and faster railroads? At a time when millions of unemployed
construction workers could build them right here in America?
There are private construction companies all across America
just waiting to get to work. There's a bridge that needs repair
between Ohio and Kentucky that's on one of the busiest trucking
routes in North America. A public transit project in Houston
that will help clear up one of the worst areas of traffic in
the country. And there are schools throughout this country that
desperately need renovating. How can we expect our kids to do
their best in places that are literally falling apart? This is
America. Every child deserves a great school--and we can give
it to them, if we act now.
The American Jobs Act will repair and modernize at least
35,000 schools. It will put people to work right now fixing
roofs and windows; installing science labs and high-speed
internet in classrooms all across this country. It will
rehabilitate homes and businesses in communities hit hardest by
foreclosures. It will jumpstart thousands of transportation
projects across the country. And to make sure the money is
properly spent and for good purposes, we're building on reforms
we've already put in place. No more earmarks. No more
boondoggles. No more bridges to nowhere. We're cutting the red
tape that prevents some of these projects from getting started
as quickly as possible. And we'll set up an independent fund to
attract private dollars and issue loans based on two criteria:
how badly a construction project is needed and how much good it
would do for the economy.
This idea came from a bill written by a Texas Republican
and a Massachusetts Democrat. The idea for a big boost in
construction is supported by America's largest business
organization and America's largest labor organization. It's the
kind of proposal that's been supported in the past by Democrats
and Republicans alike. You should pass it right away.
Pass this jobs bill, and thousands of teachers in every
state will go back to work. These are the men and women charged
with preparing our children for a world where the competition
has never been tougher. But while they're adding teachers in
places like South Korea, we're laying them off in droves. It's
unfair to our kids. It undermines their future and ours. And it
has to stop. Pass this jobs bill, and put our teachers back in
the classroom where they belong.
Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get extra tax
credits if they hire America's veterans. We ask these men and
women to leave their careers, leave their families, and risk
their lives to fight for our country. The last thing they
should have to do is fight for a job when they come home.
Pass this bill, and hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged
young people will have the hope and dignity of a summer job
next year. And their parents, low-income Americans who
desperately want to work, will have more ladders out of
poverty.
Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get a $4,000 tax
credit if they hire anyone who has spent more than six months
looking for a job. We have to do more to help the long-term
unemployed in their search for work. This jobs plan builds on a
program in Georgia that several Republican leaders have
highlighted, where people who collect unemployment insurance
participate in temporary work as a way to build their skills
while they look for a permanent job. The plan also extends
unemployment insurance for another year. If the millions of
unemployed Americans stopped getting this insurance, and
stopped using that money for basic necessities, it would be a
devastating blow to this economy. Democrats and Republicans in
this Chamber have supported unemployment insurance plenty of
times in the past. At this time of prolonged hardship, you
should pass it again--right away.
Pass this jobs bill, and the typical working family will
get a fifteen hundred dollar tax cut next year. Fifteen hundred
dollars that would have been taken out of your paycheck will go
right into your pocket. This expands on the tax cut that
Democrats and Republicans already passed for this year. If we
allow that tax cut to expire--if we refuse to act--middle-class
families will get hit with a tax increase at the worst possible
time. We cannot let that happen. I know some of you have sworn
oaths to never raise any taxes on anyone for as long as you
live. Now is not the time to carve out an exception and raise
middle-class taxes, which is why you should pass this bill
right away.
This is the American Jobs Act. It will lead to new jobs for
construction workers, teachers, veterans, first responders,
young people and the long-term unemployed. It will provide tax
credits to companies that hire new workers, tax relief for
small business owners, and tax cuts for the middle-class. And
here's the other thing I want the American people to know: the
American Jobs Act will not add to the deficit. It will be paid
for. And here's how:
The agreement we passed in July will cut government
spending by about $1 trillion over the next ten years. It also
charges this Congress to come up with an additional $1.5
trillion in savings by Christmas. Tonight, I'm asking you to
increase that amount so that it covers the full cost of the
American Jobs Act. And a week from Monday, I'll be releasing a
more ambitious deficit plan--a plan that will not only allow us
to boost jobs and growth in the short-term, but stabilize our
debt in the long run.
This approach is basically the one I've been advocating for
months. In addition to the trillion dollars of spending cuts
I've already signed into law, it's a balanced plan that would
reduce the deficit by making additional spending cuts; by
making modest adjustments to health care programs like Medicare
and Medicaid; and by reforming our tax code in a way that asks
the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their
fair share. What's more, the spending cuts wouldn't happen so
abruptly that they'd be a drag on our economy, or prevent us
from helping small business and middle-class families get back
on their feet right away.
Now, I realize there are some in my party who don't think
we should make any changes at all to Medicare and Medicaid, and
I understand their concerns. But here's the truth. Millions of
Americans rely on Medicare in their retirement. And millions
more will do so in the future. They pay for this benefit during
their working years. They earn it. But with an aging population
and rising health care costs, we are spending too fast to
sustain the program. And if we don't gradually reform the
system while protecting current beneficiaries, it won't be
there when future retirees need it. We have to reform Medicare
to strengthen it.
I'm also well aware that there are many Republicans who
don't believe we should raise taxes on those who are most
fortunate and can best afford it. But here is what every
American knows. While most people in this country struggle to
make ends meet, a few of the most affluent citizens and
corporations enjoy tax breaks and loopholes that nobody else
gets. Right now, Warren Buffet pays a lower tax rate than his
secretary--an outrage he has asked us to fix. We need a tax
code where everyone gets a fair shake, and everybody pays their
fair share. And I believe the vast majority of wealthy
Americans and CEOs are willing to do just that, if it helps the
economy grow and gets our fiscal house in order.
I'll also offer ideas to reform a corporate tax code that
stands as a monument to special interest influence in
Washington. By eliminating pages of loopholes and deductions,
we can lower one of the highest corporate tax rates in the
world. Our tax code shouldn't give an advantage to companies
that can afford the best-connected lobbyists. It should give an
advantage to companies that invest and create jobs here in
America.
So we can reduce this deficit, pay down our debt, and pay
for this jobs plan in the process. But in order to do this, we
have to decide what our priorities are. We have to ask
ourselves, ``What's the best way to grow the economy and create
jobs?''
Should we keep tax loopholes for oil companies? Or should
we use that money to give small business owners a tax credit
when they hire new workers? Because we can't afford to do both.
Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires? Or
should we put teachers back to work so our kids can graduate
ready for college and good jobs? Right now, we can't afford to
do both.
This isn't political grandstanding. This isn't class
warfare. This is simple math. These are real choices that we
have to make. And I'm pretty sure I know what most Americans
would choose. It's not even close. And it's time for us to do
what's right for our future.
The American Jobs Act answers the urgent need to create
jobs right away. But we can't stop there. As I've argued since
I ran for this office, we have to look beyond the immediate
crisis and start building an economy that lasts into the
future--an economy that creates good, middle-class jobs that
pay well and offer security. We now live in a world where
technology has made it possible for companies to take their
business anywhere. If we want them to start here and stay here
and hire here, we have to be able to out-build, out-educate,
and out-innovate every other country on Earth.
This task, of making America more competitive for the long
haul, is a job for all of us. For government and for private
companies. For states and for local communities--and for every
American citizen. All of us will have to up our game. All of us
will have to change the way we do business.
My administration can and will take some steps to improve
our competitiveness on our own. For example, if you're a small
business owner who has a contract with the federal government,
we're going to make sure you get paid a lot faster than you do
now. We're also planning to cut away the red tape that prevents
too many rapidly-growing start-up companies from raising
capital and going public. And to help responsible homeowners,
we're going to work with Federal housing agencies to help more
people refinance their mortgages at interest rates that are now
near 4%--a step that can put more than $2,000 a year in a
family's pocket, and give a lift to an economy still burdened
by the drop in housing prices.
Other steps will require Congressional action. Today you
passed reform that will speed up the outdated patent process,
so that entrepreneurs can turn a new idea into a new business
as quickly as possible. That's the kind of action we need. Now
it's time to clear the way for a series of trade agreements
that would make it easier for American companies to sell their
products in Panama, Colombia, and South Korea--while also
helping the workers whose jobs have been affected by global
competition. If Americans can buy Kias and Hyundais, I want to
see folks in South Korea driving Fords and Chevys and
Chryslers. I want to see more products sold around the world
stamped with three proud words: ``Made in America.''
And on all of our efforts to strengthen competitiveness, we
need to look for ways to work side-by-side with America's
businesses. That's why I've brought together a Jobs Council of
leaders from different industries who are developing a wide
range of new ideas to help companies grow and create jobs.
Already, we've mobilized business leaders to train 10,000
American engineers a year, by providing company internships and
training. Other businesses are covering tuition for workers who
learn new skills at community colleges. And we're going to make
sure the next generation of manufacturing takes root not in
China or Europe, but right here, in the United States of
America. If we provide the right incentives and support--and if
we make sure our trading partners play by the rules--we can be
the ones to build everything from fuel-efficient cars to
advanced biofuels to semiconductors that are sold all over the
world. That's how America can be number one again. That's how
America will be number one again.
Now, I realize that some of you have a different theory on
how to grow the economy. Some of you sincerely believe that the
only solution to our economic challenges is to simply cut most
government spending and eliminate most government regulations.
Well, I agree that we can't afford wasteful spending, and I
will continue to work with Congress to get rid of it. And I
agree that there are some rules and regulations that put an
unnecessary burden on businesses at a time when they can least
afford it. That's why I ordered a review of all government
regulations. So far, we've identified over 500 reforms, which
will save billions of dollars over the next few years. We
should have no more regulation than the health, safety, and
security of the American people require. Every rule should meet
that common sense test.
But what we can't do--what I won't do--is let this economic
crisis be used as an excuse to wipe out the basic protections
that Americans have counted on for decades. I reject the idea
that we need to ask people to choose between their jobs and
their safety. I reject the argument that says for the economy
to grow, we have to roll back protections that ban hidden fees
by credit card companies, or rules that keep our kids from
being exposed to mercury, or laws that prevent the health
insurance industry from shortchanging patients. I reject the
idea that we have to strip away collective bargaining rights to
compete in a global economy. We shouldn't be in a race to the
bottom, where we try to offer the cheapest labor and the worst
pollution standards. America should be in a race to the top.
And I believe that's a race we can win.
In fact, this larger notion that the only thing we can do
to restore prosperity is just dismantle government, refund
everyone's money, let everyone write their own rules, and tell
everyone they're on their own--that's not who we are. That's
not the story of America.
Yes, we are rugged individualists. Yes, we are strong and
self-reliant. And it has been the drive and initiative of our
workers and entrepreneurs that has made this economy the engine
and envy of the world.
But there has always been another thread running throughout
our history--a belief that we are all connected; and that there
are some things we can only do together, as a nation.
We all remember Abraham Lincoln as the leader who saved our
Union. But in the middle of a Civil War, he was also a leader
who looked to the future--a Republican president who mobilized
government to build the transcontinental railroad; launch the
National Academy of Sciences; and set up the first land grant
colleges. And leaders of both parties have followed the example
he set.
Ask yourselves--where would we be right now if the people
who sat here before us decided not to build our highways and
our bridges; our dams and our airports? What would this country
be like if we had chosen not to spend money on public high
schools, or research universities, or community colleges?
Millions of returning heroes, including my grandfather, had the
opportunity to go to school because of the GI Bill. Where would
we be if they hadn't had that chance?
How many jobs would it have cost us if past Congresses
decided not to support the basic research that led to the
Internet and the computer chip? What kind of country would this
be if this Chamber had voted down Social Security or Medicare
just because it violated some rigid idea about what government
could or could not do? How many Americans would have suffered
as a result?
No single individual built America on their own. We built
it together. We have been, and always will be, one nation,
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all; a
nation with responsibilities to ourselves and with
responsibilities to one another. Members of Congress, it is
time for us to meet our responsibilities.
Every proposal I've laid out tonight is the kind that's
been supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past. Every
proposal I've laid out tonight will be paid for. And every
proposal is designed to meet the urgent needs of our people and
our communities.
I know there's been a lot of skepticism about whether the
politics of the moment will allow us to pass this jobs plan--or
any jobs plan. Already, we're seeing the same old press
releases and tweets flying back and forth. Already, the media
has proclaimed that it's impossible to bridge our differences.
And maybe some of you have decided that those differences are
so great that we can only resolve them at the ballot box.
But know this: the next election is fourteen months away.
And the people who sent us here--the people who hired us to
work for them--they don't have the luxury of waiting fourteen
months. Some of them are living week to week; paycheck to
paycheck; even day to day. They reed help, and they need it
now.
I don't pretend that this plan will solve all our problems.
It shouldn't be, nor will it be, the last plan of action we
propose. What's guided us from the start of this crisis hasn't
been the search for a silver bullet. It's been a commitment to
stay at it--to be persistent--to keep trying every new idea
that works, and listen to every good proposal, no matter which
party comes up with it.
Regardless of the arguments we've had in the past,
regardless of the arguments we'll have in the future, this plan
is the right thing to do right now. You should pass it. And I
intend to take that Message to every corner of this country. I
also ask every American who agrees to lift your voice and tell
the people who are gathered here tonight that you want action
now. Tell Washington that doing nothing is not an option.
Remind us that if we act as one nation, and one people, we have
it within our power to meet this challenge.
President Kennedy once said, ``Our problems are man-made--
therefore they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as
he wants.''
These are difficult years for our country. But we are
Americans. We are tougher than the times that we live in, and
we are bigger
than our politics have been. So let's meet the moment. Let's
get to work, and show the world once again why the United
States of America remains the greatest nation on Earth. Thank
you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of
America.
Barack Obama.
The White House, September 8, 2011.