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Hi, everybody. Four years after the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, we’re
seeing signs that, as a nation, we’re moving forward again.
After losing about 800,000 jobs a month when I took office, our businesses have now added
5.2 million new jobs over the past two and a half years. And on Friday, we learned that
the unemployment rate is now at its lowest level since I took office. More Americans
are entering the workforce. More Americans are getting jobs.
But too many of our friends and neighbors are still looking for work or struggling to
pay the bills – many of them since long before this crisis hit.
We owe it to them to keep moving forward. We’ve come too far to turn back now. And
we’ve made too much progress to return to the policies that got us into this mess in
the first place. For example – two years ago, we put in place
tougher, commonsense rules of the road for Wall Street to make sure that the kind of
crisis we’ve been fighting back from never happens again.
These rules mean that big banks are no longer going to be able to make risky bets with your
deposits. And if a big bank does make a bad decision, they pay for it – not taxpayers.
And we also put in place the strongest consumer protections in our history to crack down on
the worst practices of credit card companies and mortgage lenders.
But for some reason, some Republicans in Congress are still waging an all-out battle to delay,
defund and dismantle these commonsense new rules.
Why? Do they think undoing rules that protect families from the worst practices of credit
card companies and mortgage lenders will make the middle class stronger? Do they think
getting rid of rules to prevent another crisis on Wall Street will make Main Street any safer?
Republicans in Congress need to stop trying to refight the battles of the past few years,
and finally start doing something to actually help the middle class get ahead.
And here are three things they can do right now.
First, Congress needs to step up and guarantee that 98% of Americans and 97% of small business
owners won’t see their taxes go up next year. This is something that everyone says
they agree on. It should have gotten done months ago. But Republicans in Congress
are standing in the way. They’re holding tax cuts for 98% of Americans hostage until
we pass tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Ask them how that helps the middle
class. Second, Congress needs to step up and provide
every responsible homeowner a chance to save about $3,000 a year on their mortgage by refinancing
at lower rates. I gave them a plan to do that - back in February. It’s a plan that
has the support of independent, nonpartisan economists and leaders across the housing
industry. But Republicans won’t even let that plan come to a vote. Ask them how that
helps homeowners. Third, Congress needs to step up and pass
my plan to create a veterans jobs corps to help our returning heroes find work as cops,
firefighters and park rangers in communities across the country. A few weeks ago, Republicans
in the Senate voted that plan down. Ask them why someone who fights for this country
abroad should have to fight for a job when they come home.
Ask them to get back to work and get these things done. If we’re going to keep this
economy moving forward, there’s no time for political games. Even in a political
season. Everyone needs to do their part. If you agree with me, let your Representative
know where you stand. Tell them that if they want your vote, then they need to stand
with you and not in the way of our recovery. Thanks and have a great weekend.