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Watch: President Obama Holds a Town Hall with BlogHer and SheKnows

April 15, 2015 at 7:53 PM ET by David Hudson
Summary: 
President Obama traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for a special town hall event, co-hosted with leading women's sites BlogHer and She Knows. During the conversation, the President talked with working women about some of the issues they care the most about -- such as paying for child care, or sending their children to college.

Watch on YouTube

This afternoon, President Obama traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for a special town hall event, co-hosted with leading women's sites BlogHer and She Knows. During the conversation, the President talked with working women about some of the issues they care the most about -- such as paying for child care or sending their children to college.

Dianna Jolly, a Charlotte resident who introduced the President at today's event, wrote him a few months ago explaining how it's growing more difficult for her just to get by. "As part of the middle class," she said, "I know how it feels to work hard every day, and -- even with a college education and a full-time job -- find it harder and harder to make ends meet."

In his remarks and answers at today's town hall, the President made clear that more hardworking and middle-class Americans deserve the chance to get ahead, and explained the steps that he's taking to fix the problem.

President Obama participates in a Town Hall with BlogHer and SheKnows Online communities (2)

President Barack Obama participates in a Town Hall with BlogHer and SheKnows Online communities at the Spangler Library at ImaginOn in Charlotte, NC, April 15, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

President Obama also highlighted the fact that it's Tax Day, and explained how his proposed budget would cut taxes for 44 million working and middle-class Americans, including:

  • More than 5 million middle-class families who needs help paying for child care
  • More than 8 million families and students who need help paying for college
  • 30 million workers save for retirement
  • 13 million low-wage workers

"That's who our tax code should benefit. Working Americans who are out there struggling every day, doing the right thing, supporting their families and trying to get a leg up in this new economy."

-- President Barack Obama

Watch the full video from today's town hall, and hear what people from across the country said to the President about the problems they're facing, and how they think government can help.

And in case you don't feel like watching the whole event, here are some of the highlights:

On expanding access to child care:

On equal pay:

On cutting taxes for middle-class families:

You should also see:

David Hudson

Former Associate Director of Content for the Office of Digital Strategy