Also, *** Sept. 7-8 ~ Iraq Government plans to announce $billions of investment opportunities at ...
August 31, 2011
Obama makes opening salvo on jobs with speech date
President Barack Obama on Wednesday sought a high profile and politically provocative venue to unveil new economic proposals, asking to address Congress on the same night Republican presidential candidates hold a debate.
In a letter to congressional leaders, Obama asked for a joint session of the House of Representatives and Senate at 8:00 p.m. EDT on September 7 to lay out his plan to create jobs and boost economic growth while reducing the U.S. deficit.
"As I have traveled across our country this summer and spoken with our fellow Americans, I have heard a consistent message: Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs," Obama said in the letter.
"We must answer this call."
There was no immediate response from House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner to the president's request. The House and Senate must pass a joint resolution to provide for Congress to assemble for the address.
Continues ..
By seeking a joint session of Congress, much like the president's televised annual State of the Union address, Obama sought a sweeping platform in his opening bid to get support from Democrats and Republicans for this proposals.
But the timing of the address -- on the same night as his potential Republican rivals debate how to oust him from the White House -- gives him an opportunity to upstage the other party at the same time that he is seeking its support.
Television networks not airing the Republican debate would likely broadcast Obama's address to Congress. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the timing was "coincidental."
"It is our responsibility to find bipartisan solutions to help grow our economy, and if we are willing to put country before party, I am confident we can do just that," Obama said in the letter.
He said he would lay out a series of steps that Congress could act on immediately to strengthen small businesses and put "more money in the paychecks of the Middle Class and working Americans" while reducing the deficit.
Carney said the speech would focus primarily on jobs, with detailed proposals on deficit reduction coming later.
Earlier on Wednesday Obama urged Congress to not hold up multibillion-dollar temporary funding bills for aviation and highway spending.
Obama also said he would instruct certain federal agencies to identify high priority infrastructure construction projects to speed them through the bureaucracy, a recommendation of the White House Council on Jobs and Competitiveness
http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=115410760&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281
