White House: Judge us not by what passes Congress
Washington (CNN) - Signaling what could be a difficult year for enacting legislation in Washington, a top Obama administration official said the White House is taking a realistic view on what can pass Congress in the months leading up to the fall's mid-term election.
Don't judge us by what makes its way through Capitol Hill, the senior administration official cautioned.
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The top items on President Barack Obama's agenda are hardly new: tackling income inequality, reforming immigration, and combatting climate change.
Laying out White House strategy for the year to come, the senior administration official said it's unlikely an ambitious legislative agenda will come to fruition with Congress bitterly divided. Still, White House officials are feeling emboldened by the fight over extending jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed. Republicans have moved, one senior administration official argued, from debating the wisdom of extending the insurance to demanding that the cost be covered by cuts in other areas of the budget.
The senior administration official signaled some openness to finding a way to pay for the extension. But the official declined to say exactly how.
The White House, the official added, will return to the issue of income inequality in the President's upcoming State of the Union speech as well as another push for a raise to the minimum wage.
The White House is taking a wait-and-see approach to the Affordable Care Act as millions of Americans begin using the insurance coverage they obtained under the program. The senior administration official was cautious about describing the White House as having turned the corner after the disastrous rollout of healthcare.gov. That official, however, noted the ACA's accelerated pace of enrollment since repairs were made to the federal web site.
Another short-term priority for the President is his upcoming speech announcing reforms to surveillance activities at the National Security Agency. Obama has signaled he may make incremental changes to the NSA's practice of collecting bulk telephone data. The senior administration official said the President will announce his proposed reforms after extensive discussions with the review group he appointed to look at the NSA's activities, as well as the intelligence community and members of Congress.
As for other pertinent items on the White House agenda, the senior administration official seemed uncertain when pressed on the fate of immigration reform in Congress. The President, the official cautioned, is still insisting on a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, a key sticking point for Republicans who are arguing for an incremental approach to solving the issue.
Making progress on the issue of climate change, a key Obama campaign promise in his first run for the White House, is another urgent priority for the President, the official added.
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If USA has guts, USA is educated–they fire entire GOP thugs from congress, senate for NOT PASSING JOBS-BILL. I MEAN "JOBS-BILL". Period.
Mr. President we judge you by results. I would look towards improving participation. If you can return the Nation to 66.5% participation you will be lauded.
We don't. We judge you by all the things you have done wrong, by all your failings, and by all of your lies and deceit, by all of your political spying on the entire world, and your failed foreign policy, and all of the REST!
That's fair.
Real leaders take responsibility for their actions. Horrible leaders blame and lie to others.
Guess we don't have real leaders.
Perhaps the Obozo regime could bundle yhe unemployment giveaway with something that might actually help those of us who actually work and pat taxes like the XL pipeline. I know he won't do it because it may eliminate some dependency. Once people make their own money thy will be upset against the government an deprive the democrat liberals of votes.
listen up and listen good. obama is not in terested in america or americans. he wants socialism so bad it hurts that way he can claim total dictatorship. he will give anything away to anybody reaching this goal. you want to get taxed at 47% and have the government control your life than go else where. global economy depends on our country holding up it`s end. o`bama could care less about economy only his own selfish needs
Most presidents had working congresses to move an agenda through, but this president is saddled with a disloyal opposition so blinded by hate they would rather see the country destroyed than give him any successes. he should do everything he possibly can by executive order and bypass the thugs out to destroy his presidency. we, the people, are nothing but collateral damage in this disgusting spectacle. Obama has done nothing but try to do what's right for the good of the country. that's what we elected him to do. the rethugs can't accept the message of two elections. sure hope they get a much clearer message this november. REMEMBER THE SHUTDOWN!
It takes everyone to get a job done from all views and job positions. When we stall as a nation it means jealousy, greed, corruption, fraud, and illegal activity are in affect. Forget making deals pass effective laws that back everyone to achieve together. How much waste is put into creating problems instead of solving them with rationality? Then we wonder why are debt unmanageable. It seems as the publicity sells more than the actual laws effecting our quality of life. We need people and more effective rules to get the job done not stall tactics to generate income and publicity.
Great another day another Obammy pivot, Please Mr Pres accomplish something !!! Ever hear of follow thru ???
Judge the "do nothing" congress, (lower case c intentional) in November.
It's called leadership Mr President. Something this country needs desperately.
Democrats trying to distance themselves from literally EVERYTHING.
Nothing will be done on climate change, because the fossil fuel lobby is much to influentrial. Income inequality will increase because the rich will hoard their money and no jobs will be created. The jobs that do exist will pay less. There's a chance something may be done with immigration, but I doubt it
With the way congress is working or not working-the best beginning to offset the cost is to take back the very large raises congress voted to give themselves every year. just because it is automatic doesn"t mean we don"t know it. seems to me that would go a long way to say they give a dam about our country.
I take a quote from another president " ask not what your country can do for you , but what you can do for your country"
My target audience is different to that of president Kennedy
I target every member of the House and Senate irrespective of party or state from which they are elected.
It is clear at present what they should do in that vein:-
1) Pass the three month extension of unemployment benefits.... discuss paying for it if needed during that 3 months
2) Get immigration reform passed it reduces unemployment and enhances GDP benefiting most of the people in need the people for along time to come.
3) Minimum wage, stop pussy footing around this works too economically and has a chance of reducing welfare benefits.... but food stamps need to be retained.
4) Take another look at AJA and the tax and spending on infrastructure envisaged
.All those will turn around the recession and reduce unemployment and further reduce deficit growth from this administrations fastest pace reduction ever.
Regards,
Hodgson
So Obama and his administration are flat out saying they take no responsibility for THEIR actions.What a bunch of cry babies.Whaaa!Whaaa!Whaaa!It will be so nice when the impeachment process starts this year.It's going to take a long time to repair the damage done by this administration.
"Don’t judge us by what makes its way through Capitol Hill, the senior administration official cautioned."
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So Republican "obstructionism" is just a liberal talking point, and nothing more.
I am one of the unemployed! I am currently in school repositioning myself for a better oppty since I was fired from my 7 yrs job from Emory for texting! I am a single mother with a mortgage and car payment and everything else in between. I get it, the Repubic hairs can care less about us until it happens to a member of their family.The speaker of the house this will be your last rodeo, you cruel ...bleep bleep bleep!
I have submitted a boat load of resumes to employers since June. I am not lazy and I rather have a job to begin to live again instead of just surviving. I decided to enroll in school to develop a different skill set to put myself in a better position. I still havent heard from those employers, maybe Congress need to find out why they are not hiring when they are posting vacancies! Get back with me on some leads, then I will be one less "lazy couch potato" you will have to disgrace.
Another wasted year coming up. Nothing getting done.
Well what kind of lies will the worst president EVER come up with this time
This is the most adolescent administration in u.s. History.what a bunch of whiney idiots
No problem. I'll judge you based on your own failures. I'll leave congress out of it. And the judgement is already in-you and your ilk are a bunch of clowns
I wouldn't want to be judged by Obamacare either.
Congress's time is coming in the midterm elections this year. Vote them out, starting with John Boehner.