奥巴马What This Nation Was Founded On.docx

奥巴马What This Nation Was Founded On.docx

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奥巴马WhatThisNationWasFoundedOn

11:

02A.M.EDT

THEPRESIDENT:

 Haveaseat,everybody. Goodmorning. BeforeItakeyourquestions,Ijustwanttotalkalittlebitaboutourcontinuingeffortstodigourselvesoutofthisrecessionandtogrowoureconomy.  

AsIsaidinClevelandonWednesday,IranforPresidentbecauseIbelievedthepoliciesofthepreviousdecadehadleftoureconomyweakerandourmiddleclassstruggling. Theywerepoliciesthatcuttaxes,especiallyformillionairesandbillionaires,cutregulationsforcorporationsandforspecialinterests,andlefteveryoneelseprettymuchfendingforthemselves. Theywerepoliciesthatultimatelyculminatedinafinancialcrisisandaterriblerecessionthatwe’restilldiggingoutoftoday. 

Wecameintoofficewithadifferentviewabouthowoureconomyshouldwork. Insteadoftaxcutsformillionaires,webelieveincuttingtaxesformiddle-classfamiliesandsmallbusinessowners. We’vedonethat. Insteadoflettingcorporationsplaybytheirownrules,webelieveinmakingsurethatbusinessestreatworkerswellandconsumersfriendly,andplaybythesamerulesaseveryoneelse. Sowe’veputinplacecommon-senserulesthataccomplishthat. 

Insteadoftaxbreaksthatencouragecorporationstocreatejobsoverseas,webelieveintaxbreaksforcompaniesthatcreatejobsrighthereintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Andsowe’vebeguntodothat. WebelieveininvestmentsthatwillmakeAmericamorecompetitiveintheglobaleconomy:

 investmentsineducationandcleanenergy,inresearchandtechnology. Andwe’remakingthoseinvestments.

Sothesearetheprinciplesthathaveguidedusoverthelast19months. AndthesearetheprinciplesthatformthebasisoftheadditionaleconomicproposalsthatIofferedthisweek. Becauseeventhoughtheeconomyisgrowingagain,andwe’veaddedmorethan750,000privatesectorjobsthisyear,theholetherecessionleftwashugeandprogresshasbeenpainfullyslow. MillionsofAmericansarestilllookingforwork. Millionsoffamiliesarestrugglingtopaytheirbillsorthemortgage. Andsotheseproposalsaremeanttobothacceleratejobgrowthintheshorttermandstrengthentheeconomyinthelongrun.

Theseproposalsincludeamoregenerous,permanentextensionofthetaxcreditthatgoestocompaniesforalltheresearchandinnovationthattheydohereinAmerica. AndI’veproposedthatallAmericanbusinessesshouldbeallowedtowriteoffalltheinvestmentstheydoin2011. Thiswillhelpsmallbusinessesupgradetheirplantsandequipment,andwillencouragelargecorporationstogetoffthesidelinesandstartputtingtheirprofitstoworkinoureconomy.

Wealsoannouncedasix-yearplantorebuildAmerica’sroadsandrailwaysandrunways. Alreadyourinvestmentsininfrastructureareputtingfolksintheconstructionindustrybacktowork. Andthisplanwouldputthousandsmorebacktowork,anditwouldhelpusremaincompetitivewithcountriesinEuropeandAsiathathavealreadyinvestedheavilyinprojectslikehigh-speedrailroads. 

Butonethingwecandonextweekisendamonth-longstandoffonasmallbusinessjobsbillthat’sbeenheldupintheSenatebyapartisanminority. IrealizethereareplentyofissuesinWashingtonwherepeopleofgoodfaithsimplydisagreeonprinciple. Thisshouldnotandisnotoneofthoseissues. 

Thisisabillthatdoestwomainthings:

 Itgivessmallbusinessownerstaxcuts,andithelpsthemgetloans. Itwilleliminatecapitalgainstaxesforkeyinvestmentsin1millionsmallbusinesses. Itwillprovideincentivestoinvestandcreatejobsfor4millionsmallbusinesses. Itwillmorethandoubletheamountsomesmallbusinessownerscanborrowtogrowtheircompanies. It’sabillthat'spaidfor,abillthatwon’taddtothedeficit. IthasbeenwrittenbyDemocratsandRepublicans. It’sabillthat'sbeenpraisedbytheChamberofCommerce. AndyetaminorityofRepublicansenatorshavebeenusinglegislativetacticstopreventthebillfromevengettingtoavote. 

Now,Iwaspleasedtoseethatyesterday,RepublicanSenatorGeorgeVoinovichofOhiosaidhewouldrefusetosupportthisblockadeanylonger. SenatorVoinovichsaid,“Thiscountryisreallyhurting,”and“Wedon’thavetimeanymoretoplaygames.”Icouldnotagreemore. 

Iunderstandthere’sanelectioncomingup. ButtheAmericanpeopledidn’tsendusheretothinkaboutourjobs. Theysentusheretothinkabouttheirs. Andtherearesmallbusinessesrightnowwhoareputtingoffplanstohiremoreworkersbecausethisbillisstalled. That’snotthekindofleadershipthiscountrydeserves. AndIhopewecannowmoveforwardtogetsmallbusinessownerstherelieftheyneedtostarthiringandgrowingagain. 

Andwhilewe’reonthesubjectofeconomics,Ialsowanttomakeanannouncementaboutmyeconomicteam.Thisweek,ChristinaRomerreturnedtoBerkeleyafteratireless,outstandingtenureasChairoftheCouncilofEconomicAdvisers.Christyisbrilliant,sheisdedicated,andshewaspartoftheteamthathelpedsavethiscountryfromadepression. Sowe’regoingtomissherdearly. Buttoday,I’mhappytoannounceAustanGoolsbeeasherreplacement. 

Austanhasbeenoneofmygoodfriendsandcloseeconomicadvisorsformanyyears. He’soneofthefinesteconomistsinthecountry,andhe’sworkedasamemberoftheCouncilofEconomicAdviserssincewearrivedhereinWashington. He’snotjustabrillianteconomist,he’ssomeonewhohasadeepappreciationofhowtheeconomyaffectseverydaypeople,andhetalksaboutitinawaythat’seasilyunderstood. Healreadyknowsandworkswiththerestoftheteamverywell. Ihavecompleteconfidencehe’sgoingtodoanoutstandingjobasCEAChair.

Andfinally,tomorrowwewillcommemoratenotonlytheheartbreakofSeptember11th,butalsotheenduringvaluesandresilientspiritofAmerica. BothMichelleandIwillbejoiningourfellowcitizensinrememberingthosewhowerelostonthatdayandhonoringallwhoexhibitedsuchextraordinaryheroisminthemidstoftragedy. I’llhavefurtherremarkstomorrow,butfornowletmejustnotethattomorrowisaNationalDayofServiceandRemembranceandIhopeeachofusfindsawaytoserveourfellowcitizens--notonlytoreaffirmourdeepestvaluesasAmericans,buttorekindlethatspiritofunityandcommonpurposethatwefeltinthedaysthatfollowedthatSeptembermorning.

AndnowI'dbehappytotakesomequestions,andI'mgoingtostartwithDarleneSupervilleofAP.

Q   Thankyou,Mr.President. YousaidthisweekthatDemocratswouldn’tdowellintheNovemberelectionsifitturnsouttobeareferendumontheeconomy. Butwithmillionsofpeopleoutofworkandmillionsofpeoplelosingtheirhomes,howcoulditnotbeareferendumontheeconomyandyourhandlingofit,andwhywouldyounotwelcomethat?

THEPRESIDENT:

 Well,the--whatIsaidwasthatifitwasjustareferendumonwhetherwe’vemadethekindofprogressthatweneedto,thenpeoplearoundthecountrywouldsaywe’renotthereyet. Iftheelectionisaboutthepoliciesthataregoingtomoveusforwardversusthepoliciesthatwillgetusbackintoamess,thenIthinktheDemocratswilldoverywell. Andhere’swhy.

AsIjustindicated,middle-classfamilieshadbeenstrugglingforadecade,beforeIcameintooffice.Theirwagesandincomeshadflat-lined. Theywereseeingthecostofeverythingfromhealthcaretosendingtheirkidstocollegegoingup.Jobgrowthwastheweakestofanyeconomicexpansionbetween2001and2008sinceWorldWarII. Thepacewasslowerthanit’sbeenoverthelastyear.

SothesepoliciesofcuttingtaxesforthewealthiestAmericans,ofstrippingawayregulationsthatprotectconsumers,runninguparecordsurplustoarecorddeficit--thosepoliciesfinallyculminatedintheworstfinancialcrisiswe’vehadsincetheGreatDepression. Andfor19months,whatwehavedoneissteadilyworkedtoavoidadepression,totakeaneconomythatwascontractingrapidlyandmakingitgrowagain;asituationwherewewerelosing750,000jobsamonth,andnowwe’vehadeightconsecutivemonthsofprivatesectorjobgrowth;andmadeinvestmentsthataregoingtostrengthentheeconomyoverthelongterm. 

Butwe’renotthereyet. Welost4millionjobsinthesixmonthsbeforeIwasswornin,andwelost8millionjobstotalduringthecourseofthisrecession. Thatisahugeholetodigourselvesoutof. Andpeoplewhohavelosttheirjobsaroundthecountryandcan’tfindone,momswhoaresendingoutresumesandnotgettingcallsback,worriedaboutlosinghomesandnotbeingabletopaybills--they’renotfeelinggoodrightnow. AndIunderstandthat.

AndIranpreciselybecauseIdidnotthinkmiddle-classfamiliesinthiscountryweregettingafairshake. AndIranbecauseIfeltthatwehadtohaveadifferenteconomicphilosophyinordertogrowthatmiddleclassandgrowoureconomyoverthelongterm.

Now,foralltheprogresswe’vemade,we’renotthereyet. Andthatmeansthatpeoplearefrustratedandthatmeanspeopleareangry. AndsinceI’mthePresidentandDemocratshavecontrolledtheHouseandtheSenate,it’sunderstandablethatpeoplearesaying,whathaveyoudone.

ButbetweennowandNovember,whatI’mgoingtoremindtheAmericanpeopleofisthatthepoliciesthatwehaveputinplacehavemovedusintherightdirection,andthepoliciesthattheRepublicansareofferingrightnowaretheexactpoliciesthatgotusintothismess. It’snotasituationwheretheywentandreflected,andsaidtothemselves,youknowwhat,wedidn’tdosomethingsrightandsowe’vegotawholebunchofnewideasoutherethatwewanttopresenttoyouthatwethin