The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
Senior Advisor to the President David Axelrod calls on Congress to pass relief for small businesses and unemployment insurance extension.
On Saturday, David Axelrod sent this email to the White House list highlighting the President’s Weekly Address calling on Congress to stand up for small businesses and unemployed Americans by quickly passing legislation that would provide small businesses with the credit they need to hire and grow and extend unemployment benefits for Americans looking for work.
If you didn’t get the email, you can sign up for the White House email list here.
Right now many Americans are still feeling the effects of the recession. Small business owners are having a hard time getting the credit they need to hire and grow, and millions of our friends and neighbors are still looking for work.
In his Weekly Address, President Obama calls on Congress to stop their procedural maneuvers and allow for a simple up or down vote on expanded unemployment insurance and additional tax cuts and lending for small businesses. These are two much-needed measures that will provide a boost to our economy and relief to our friends and neighbors who can’t find jobs.
Take a moment to hear what he has to say:
For the past 18 months, President Obama has been fighting to help small business owners because he understands that small businesses are key to getting the American people back to work. He has been fighting for expanded unemployment insurance because he understands that putting money in the pockets of the people who are most likely to spend it is a cost-effective way of boosting local economies and creating jobs.
Unemployment insurance is a vital lifeline for many families struggling to find work in these tough times. Over the past few weeks, that lifeline has disappeared for more than 2 million Americans, and if Congress doesn’t act, that number will grow to 3.2 million people by the end of this month.
Getting our economy back on track hasn’t been easy, but passing important legislation to support small businesses and Americans looking for work has proved nearly impossible. Repeatedly, Republicans have used procedural maneuvers to deny this legislation an up or down vote.
There may be a lot of controversial topics out there, but support for small businesses and unemployment insurance shouldn’t be among them.
It’s time for an up or down vote on these important measures. It’s time for Congress to act.
Sincerely,
David Axelrod
Senior Advisor to the President
