Obama puts focus on budget talks in weekly address
(CNN)–After a week of falling approval ratings and criticism of the botched Obamacare website, President Barack Obama, in his weekly address Saturday, turned his attention to Washington's perennial funding battle.
"We need to grow and create more good jobs faster," the President said. "That’s my driving focus. And I’ll go anywhere and do anything to make it happen."
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Obama once again called on Congress to reach a long-term budget agreement and avoid another impasse like the one that led to the partial government shutdown last month and threatened the government's ability to pay its debts.
"I was glad to hear the Republican leader in the Senate say this week that they won’t pursue another government shutdown or threaten another default on our debt," said Obama, referring to remarks by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Because we shouldn’t be injuring ourselves every few months - we should be investing in ourselves."
While negotiations to draft a budget for the rest of the 2014 fiscal year have begun, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have a long way to go before reaching an agreement.
Republicans are calling for more budget cuts and a further reduction in the deficit. Democrats, meanwhile, are calling for increases in tax revenue to fund infrastructure projects, energy programs and education initiatives.
While the administration is still pushing for a long-term funding deal - a so-called grand bargain - Obama has held firm on his commitment to limit cuts to certain programs.
"If we don’t pick the right priorities now, make the right choices now," said the President, "we could hinder growth and opportunity for decades, and leave our children with something less."
He also denounced "the obsession with cutting just for the sake of cutting," adding, "That hasn’t helped our economy grow; it’s held it back.
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We have so far 830 billion dollars reduction in Deficit. Yes, this deficit was from Bush Iraq, Afghanistan, and 30 billion dollars yearly to Pakistan drain the tubes, nonetheless Bin Laden hid there. Very true. No Argument further.
Tom l – You had asked about the $24 billion that the republican government shutdown cost. I hesitate to respond to you because you are super sensitive, but here goes: The $24 billion loss from the republican shutdown was arrived at by Standards and Poors. $24 billion was taken out of the economy and reduced the 4th quarter growth from 3% to 2.4%. $3.1 billion from government services, $152 million per day in lost travel spending, $76 million per day in National Parks being closed, $217 million per day in federal and local contractors wages, creating a stall in cash flow. But small businesses, military families, and hundreds of thousands of federal workers really got hurt.
cruz is a bad canadian joke!
How many times does this idiot think he can "pivot" to the matter of creating jobs? He better hire himself some new speech writers – because they just have him reading the same old stuff off the teleprompter – and no one is listening anymore.
Ted Cruz and the Aqua Buddha will shut it down in Jan.
Thats the plan , GREEN EGGS AN HAM !
Another sound off article to protect the queen piece, Obama.
Budget?! Guy can't even keep the Obamacare website ob budget and even working let alone getting the US debt over $17 Trillion. Guess he's going to demand to have his Chinese Express Credit Card limit raised again.
Thorium:
What Thorium, it has nothing to do with Politics. OR does it? Something called Molten Salt Thorium; if it can do what it claim in can; it might do many things. It can close every current Nuclear Power plant and use its waste. It can layoff a good chuck of the current coal industry. It can provide another strain to cap the price of oil and natural gas. Corn, Wind and Solar will lose every ounce of support. All upstream of a river lose (or gain) some of its ability to bash those downstream. Is that Politics or is that Politics?
Congress: I am not asking for money; I am not asking for regulation support; I am asking for you to make a New Year Resolution and give a public comment. The comment is to prove that you are working for the Country and not the internal contents of a nutshell.
Congress, Thorium might not make this country greater but your comments will.
We could raise several trillion dollars by killing Obozocare. The only thing this corrupt liar wants is more money to give to the welfare frauds and dope addicts. HE LIES.
What I love is that Obama is always bringing up the children every chance he gets. Why doesn't he use the money that he is spending on Obamacare to help children all around the world who are starving every day. He's inconsistent.
We need to grow and create jobs faster! Really? He has been saying that since he was running for president the first time, and the economy is not growing and now with his health care plan it will be worse.
i know the old white male who has been running this country for centuries propaganda machines are pummeling the dems machines who are made up of a bunch of minorities, young folks, and women. the dems dont have a chance where messaging is concerned, its up to the people of America to open their eyes and look what happening and not just go with the fantasy rederic from the right. lesson folks if anything good to happen in our country their will be pain at first, but the outcome is what history will record. the repubs war on the poor, obamacare, Obama himself, and woman will go down in history, not a computer fiasco. i wonder what side of history the repubs will be on at any cost.
"He also denounced "the obsession with cutting just for the sake of cutting," adding, "That hasn’t helped our economy grow; it’s held it back."
True. Ask Great Britain, Greece, and other countries experimenting with "austerity" policies.