We'll honor 12 PTA leaders as Champions of Change, a program created to honor ordinary Americans doing great work in their communities. The PTA Champions have collaborated with school administrators and community leaders, launched innovative advocacy campaigns, and worked tirelessly to grow their local PTA organizations to involve more parents in their children’s education. You can learn more about our PTA Champions here.

But this Friday isn't just for PTA leaders joining us at the White House, it's also to engage with millions of moms and dads who can’t make it to Washington. So, we're hoping you'll tune-in live and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WHPTA. Join us live at WhiteHouse.gov/Champions for PTA Day, including:

• 9:30 a.m. EDT: PTA leaders briefing with Administration officials
• 12:00 p.m. EDT: “Open for Questions” online Q&A with Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Munoz moderated by National PTA President Betsy Landers. PTA members around the country are invited to watch live and submit questions at PTA.org or on Twitter using the hashtag #WHPTA
• 2:00 p.m. EDT: “Champions of Change" event honoring 12 PTA members

The President knows how important parent involvement is to successfully educating our kids, and that is why we’re excited to welcome PTA leaders who are setting such great examples in their communities to the White House.

The White House created the Champions of Change program to identify and engage everyday Americans who are leading extraordinary initiatives to strengthen their communities. Their work spans across areas such as renewable energy, innovative technology, youth and domestic violence, immigration integration, infrastructure, education, equal rights and healthcare. This program recognizes their successes and efforts toward the development of – and diplomacy with –  their communities. In sharing the incredible stories of these Champions, I hope others find in them a source of inspiration and innovation as I have. Check out this video for a quick snapshot of the program:

Since the program started, the White House has hosted a series of memorable events honoring over 500 Champions from all 50 states. Last fall, we launched the Campus Champions of Change Campus Challenge in which the public chose the top five projects that best illustrate the President’s goal to win the future. Short features about their projects are highlighted on MTV.com.

Last Tuesday, we held our 54^th Champions event with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and brought together 14 Champions who are creating change within the world of transportation in their respective neighborhoods. Bob Sloane formed WalkBoston, the first pedestrian advocacy group in America, which created an easy to read map showing timed walking routes to encourage more people to walk. The popularity of these maps spread quickly and similar maps have been prepared for dozens of other communities. A passion for sustainable energy led Veronica Davis to start the BlackWomenBike as a twitter hashtag, which then turned into a movement to build a community of women who bike in Washington, DC. For Jason Roberts, it was the moment he asked himself, “Wait a second, who am I waiting for to fix these problems?” that prompted him to begin his first Better Block project. Now over 30 cities across the country have created their own Better Block projects in an effort to revitalize city blocks.

Last week, we also brought together our Champions of Change alumni on a call to reflect on how far the program has come, all the work that is being done throughout the country, and all the work that is still left to do. From what we heard from past Champions, they continue to do phenomenal work in their communities and have fostered partnerships and connections with their fellow Champions of Change.

The Champions of Change program continues to bring to the forefront some of the most incredible stories of change happening from the bottom up. These are real stories about real people who are leading initiatives across the country. It is so inspiring to see how their work at the community level is the driving force that brought, and continues to bring about change at the national level – in Washington.

I’m really looking forward to meeting our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Champions this Friday, August 10^th and the many more Champions who will join us in the future. 

Visit whitehouse.gov/champions to learn more about our past Champions of Change.  

The event was an opportunity to talk about local food with inspiring women from around the country, from Valerie Segrest, of the Muckelshoot Indian Tribe near Seattle, WA, who sees local and traditional foods as a way to preserve her heritage, to Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, MD, who has made great strides in building her city’s local food system to increase access to healthy affordable food. You can watch the full video from the hangout below or on YouTube.

The hangout also marked the launch of the 2.0 version of the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass. An innovative digital guide and map, the KYF Compass highlights USDA-supported local food projects around the country. The 2.0 version features thousands of local food projects in all 50 states and includes keyword and zip code search features.

Today’s Google+ Hangout was a great opportunity to learn more about the inspiring work happening across the country in the area of local food. You can stay up to date by joining Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan on Tuesday, July 24 at 1:30pm EDT for an @USDA  chat about local and regional food; ask your questions with the hashtags #KYF2 or #AskUSDA.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan (middle) moderates a panel of Champions of Change who have made a difference in the way their communities combat youth homelessness, July 12, 2012. (Photo by the White House Office of Public Engagement)

Yesterday, I participated in a Champions of Change event here at the White House highlighting the inspiring work of 13 leaders in the effort to end child and youth homelessness. This program, hosted by the White House in partnership with the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), featured Champions from across the country who were nominated through a public nomination process by colleagues, friends, and community members. Barbara Poppe, the Executive Director of USICH, introduced the Champions and noted that they “exemplify the spirit of collaboration [and] commitment to diversity, and have demonstrated that innovative strategies, coupled with unwavering commitment, can produce measurable results when serving children and youth experiencing homelessness in their communities.”

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan spoke about his experience volunteering at a homeless shelter in college and described the tremendous progress that has been made since then in the fight against youth homelessness. He also spoke about Opening Doors, the nation’s first ever comprehensive Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. 19 federal agencies are cooperating to achieve the goal of ending homelessness, but Secretary Donovan emphasized that the progress we are seeing would not have happened without the work being done in communities across the country by these Champions of Change and others like them.

After the Secretary’s remarks, each of the 13 Champions spoke on panels moderated by Secretary Donovan and Bryan Samuels, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families. The Champions discussed their challenges and successes, their goals for the future, and the philosophy they bring to work each day. Sparky Harlan, CEO of the Bill Wilson Center in Santa Clara, California, described her organization’s efforts to address not just youth homelessness, but youth and family homelessness, in order to stop the cycle of homelessness. Steve Bewsey, Director of Housing and Homelessness Services for Youth at LifeWorks in Austin, Texas, emphasized the importance of persistence and his work to provide a broad range of services for youth in his community. And Tim Baack, Executive Vice President of Pathfinders in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, spoke about the importance of asking the young people he works with what they want – and being willing to listen.

We honor Champions from a different field here at the White House each week, and hearing them speak about their work and the impact they are making in their communities is always one of the best parts of my week. We hope the work of these Champions inspires similar service across the country.

Learn more about this week’s Champions and past Champions at obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions, and watch a video of yesterday’s event below:

Jon Carson is the Director of the Office of Public Engagement.

We the People is an online petitioning platform designed to give all Americans a new and unique way to petition the Obama administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country.

Check out the response below or on We the People. 

Protecting the Middle-Class and Ending Tax Breaks for the Wealthiest

By David Plouffe, Senior Advisor to the President

Thanks for participating in We the People and speaking out about how important it is to make the tax code simpler and fairer to grow the economy and create jobs.

President Obama believes we need an economy built on a strong and growing middle class, and is calling on Congress to prevent taxes from going up on 98% of Americans by extending the Bush-era tax cuts for the middle class.

The President also believes that the top 2% should return to Clinton-era income tax rates -- when the United States created 23 million jobs and ran the biggest budget surplus in history -- and will veto any legislation that extends the unaffordable Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest in our country.

As President Obama recently said:

Many members of the other party believe that prosperity comes from the top down, so that if we spend trillions more on tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, that that will somehow unleash jobs and economic growth.

I disagree. I think they're wrong. I believe our prosperity has always come from an economy that's built on a strong and growing middle class -- one that can afford to buy the products that our businesses sell; a middle class that can own homes, and send their kids to college, and save enough to retire on. That's why I've cut middle-class taxes every year that I've been President -- by $3,600 for the typical middle-class family.

…

Moreover, we've tried it their way. It didn't work. At the beginning of the last decade, Congress passed trillions of dollars in tax cuts that benefited the wealthiest Americans more than anybody else. And we were told that it would lead to more jobs and higher incomes for everybody, and that prosperity would start at the top but then trickle down.

And what happened? The wealthy got wealthier, but most Americans struggled. Instead of creating more jobs, we had the slowest job growth in half a century. Instead of widespread prosperity, the typical family saw its income fall. And in just a few years, we went from record surpluses under Bill Clinton to record deficits that we are now still struggling to pay off today.

So we don't need more top-down economics. We've tried that theory. We've seen what happens. We can't afford to go back to it. We need policies that grow and strengthen the middle class -- policies that help create jobs, that make education and training more affordable, that encourage businesses to start up and create jobs right here in the United States.

So that's why I believe it's time to let the tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- folks like myself -- to expire.

You can hear more from him here.

While how to handle taxes for the wealthiest 2% may be a contentious issue, both Republicans and Democrats agree that taxes shouldn't go up on the 98% of Americans who make less than $250,000. President Obama is ready to sign an extension of the middle-class tax cuts as soon as it hits his desk. Now it's up to Congress to get it there.

Thank you,

David Plouffe

Senior Advisor to the President

Tell us what you think about this response and We the People.

P.S. The President recently gave a speech on the issue. I hope you'll take a moment to read the transcript or watch the remarks and share this message far and wide. No matter where you stand, this is a critical issue that affects everyone. Watch the President speak on extending tax cuts for the middle class families here.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering’s Albany NanoTech Complex at the State University of New York, in Albany, N.Y., May 8, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Today, Republicans in Congress voted to block President Obama’s proposal to keep student loan interest rates from doubling. If Congress doesn’t act by July 1, more than 7 million students around the country will rack up an average of $1,000 of extra debt. The President has visited colleges in Iowa, Colorado, and North Carolina to speak with students about this important issue, and he will continue to put pressure on Congress to work together and keep student loan interest rates low.

It’s time for Congress to take action on other common sense initiatives as well. This afternoon, President Obama called on Congress to move forward with a “To-Do List” that will create jobs and help restore middle class security. The President traveled to the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering’s NanoTech Complex in Albany, New York, where he described a list of initiatives that have bipartisan support and will help create an economy built to last.

The first item on the To-Do List will help spur American manufacturing, an industry that’s adding jobs for the first time since the 1990s, including many in upstate New York. But Congress can take action now to help create more jobs for American workers, President Obama said:

At the moment, companies get tax breaks for moving factories, jobs and profits overseas.  They can actually end up saving on their tax bill when they make the move.  Meanwhile, companies that choose to stay here are getting hit with one of the highest tax rates in the world.  That doesn’t make sense. 

…before we completely rework the tax code, before we've done a full-blown tax reform, at the very least what we can do right away is stop rewarding companies who ship jobs overseas and use that money to cover moving expenses for companies that are moving jobs back here to America.  So we're putting that on Congress’s "To-Do" list. 

 The proposals that the President highlighted today are important steps that Congress can take right now to create jobs. It’s time for Congress to act. Check out the full to-do list, then join the conversation and make your voice heard with the hashtag #CongressToDoList.

1. Reward American Jobs, Eliminate Tax Incentives To Ship Jobs Overseas: Congress needs to attract and keep good jobs in the United State sby passing legislation that gives companies a new 20 percent tax credit for the cost of moving their operations back to the U.S. Congress should pay for this credit by eliminating tax incentives that allow companies to deduct the costs of moving their business abroad.
2. Cut Red Tape So Responsible Homeowners Can Refinance: Congress needs to pass legislation to cut red tape in the mortgage market so that responsible families who have been paying their mortgages on time can feel secure in their home by refinancing at today’s lower rates.
3. Invest in a New Hire Tax Credit for Small Businesses: Congress needs to invest in small businesses and jumpstart new hiring by passing legislation that gives a 10 percent income tax credit for firms that create new jobs or increase wages in 2012 and that extends 100 percent expensing in 2012 for all businesses.
4. Create Jobs By Investing In Affordable Clean Energy: Congress needs to help put America in control of its energy future by extending the Production Tax Credit to support American jobs and manufacturing and expanding the 30 percent tax credit to investments in clean energy manufacturing (48C Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit).
5. Put Returning Veterans to Work Using Skills Developed in the Military: Congress needs to honor our commitment to returning veterans by creating a Veterans Job Corps to help Afghanistan and Iraq veterans get jobs as cops, firefighters, and serving their communities.

President Barack Obama meets with Champions of Change alumni in the Map Room of the White House, April 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

A little over a year ago, the White House created the Champions of Change program to recognize ordinary Americans across the country who are doing extraordinary work in their communities. During the last year we have held more than 40 Champions of Change events, honoring over 500 Champions from all 50 states.

These are people who are working to end youth and domestic violence, to green our cities, and to renew and strengthen communities through service and innovation. They are working to promote immigrant integration, to provide housing counseling, and to establish broadband access in rural areas of the country. As President Obama said, “By making their communities better places to live, our Champions are helping to ensure that our country’s best days lie ahead.”

To celebrate the program’s one-year anniversary, yesterday President Obama met with a handful of Champions of Change. He learned about the work they are doing in their communities and asked what being a Champion of Change means to them.

Each one of them had a unique answer. Andrew Yang, who founded a non-profit fellowship program that sends top college graduates to start-up companies, met people through the Champions program that helped him grow his organization. Ted Lasser, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, said being recognized as a Champion showed him that he had chosen the right path in life. And Myrdin Thompson, a “Parents on Education” Champion, told the President how proud her kids were to learn that he thought their mother was “awesome.”

As the President has often said, change doesn’t happen from the top down and it doesn’t always come from Washington. It happens from the bottom up, and it is driven by people like the 12 remarkable individuals who came to the White House yesterday.

I’m already excited to meet the next group of Champions.

To learn more about the Champions of Change program, visit obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions.

Jon Carson is the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

“My experiences working in inner city Baltimore and rural western Maryland have shown me how fulfilling it is to provide healthcare for those who need it the most.  I enjoy the challenge and believe that I can maximize the wonderful education I have been given by working with these underserved populations.”

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will have access to health care from a compassionate doctor or nurse like Christin – receiving part of $9.1 million in National Health Service Corps funding being distributed to medical students at schools in 30 states and the District of Columbia – who will serve as primary care doctors and help strengthen the health care workforce.

This Students to Service program is just one of many NHSC initiatives receiving funding under the new law. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act and the Recovery Act, communities nationwide are benefiting from the nearly $900 million in scholarships and loan repayments that has almost tripled the number of participants in the National Health Service Corps to include more than 10,000 National Corps members – doctors, nurses and other health care providers.

Other recent health care law investments in training and the placement of thousands of new practicing doctors and nurses into the community include:

• More than $14 million has gone to 45 school-based health centers across the country allowing the number of children served to increase by nearly 50 percent.
• Medicare and Medicaid bonus payments to primary care doctors and nurses will encourage students to enter the field. Increasing primary care physician payment rates in the Medicaid program to match Medicare payment levels in 2013 and 2014 will enhance access to primary care services as the uninsured gain access to medical care.   
• A $700 million investment to help build, expand and improve community health centers across the U.S. to provide needed care to low-income Americans.
• Nearly $230 million to increase the number of medical residents, nurse practitioners and physician assistants trained in primary care.  In addition, a $200 million demonstration project to help nursing schools and hospitals train advance practice registered nurses such as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists or nurse midwives.

Altogether, these investments mean both that more patients will be able to get the care they need in their community – and that more Americans who want to embark on a career in  health care will have access to training and jobs.

Tomorrow, I’m going to meet 400 National Health Service Corps members at their new awardee conference, and I’m excited to thank them for their service to this country.  If you have a question about how the Affordable Care Act is going to help promote better access to care and more health care jobs, send it to me through Twitter @JonCarson44.

To read more about how the Affordable Care Act is investing in primary care, click here.

The payroll tax cut has given tax breaks to millions of families across the country this year, providing a boost to their pocketbooks. Extending it would ensure that taxes do not go up for nearly 160 million hardworking Americans on January 1st -- an increase of $1,000 for the typical household.

While more money stays in workers’ paychecks, the law specifies that Social Security receive every dollar it would have gotten even without the payroll tax cut. This happens by automatically transferring resources from the government’s general coffers to the Social Security Trust Fund. And indeed, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration has confirmed that the payroll tax cut would have no impact on the Trust Fund.  

The President believes that Social Security is a sacred compact, that in return for a lifetime of hard work, America’s seniors will have a chance to retire with dignity. We have an obligation to keep that promise and safeguard and strengthen Social Security for seniors, people with disabilities and all Americans, both now and in the future.

The President also believes in the need to spur economic growth. The payroll tax cut will generate growth and put people back to work.

Jon Carson is Deputy Assistant to President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement

Civic Enterprises, the National Peace Corps Association and Peter D. Hart Research Associates recently collaborated to hear directly from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). Surveying over 11,000 RPCVs and leaders, "A Call to Peace: Perspectives of Volunteers on the Peace Corps at 50" (pdf) is the story of the individuals who shaped and defined the organization since its inception.

The report hopes that the voices of the RPCVs themselves will serve as guides for the next 50 years. The stories echo the Peace Corps' mission of advancing peace. They also reinforce the words of Sargent Shriver in closing his Class Day Remarks at Yale in 1994, "I hope you remember to believe in things 'til you die. I hope you remember to be guided by beliefs powerful enough to change the world. I hope you remember the example of the Peace Corps Volunteer, the Head Start parent, the Special Olympics athlete. They each in their own way are waging peace."

The full report is available here: "A Call to Peace: Perspectives of Volunteers on the Peace Corps at 50" (pdf).

Please visit the Peace Corps website to find out more about the agency and please visit the White House Service page to find out more about President Obama's Service Guiding Principles.

Jon Carson is Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement and RPCV, Honduras '04-'06.

Here in the White House we have been getting lots of feedback on the President’s plans from citizens across the country who have called, e-mailed, tweeted and posted to express their opinions and ask questions. So below are responses to some of the questions, criticisms and misconceptions that we have heard so far. 

The President Knows Congress Will Not Pass His Plan So He Is Just Wasting Our Time.

While it is up to Congress to decide if it will pass the President’s American Jobs Act so he can sign it into law, there is no reason that Congress shouldn’t. As the President explained in his address, every proposal in the American Jobs Act “is the kind of proposal that's been supported by both Democrats and Republicans.” The President’s plan will cut taxes for working Americans and small businesses and put construction workers, teachers, police officers and firefighters, veterans and the long-term unemployed back to work. And President Obama laid out a plan to pay for it, by closing tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires as well as hedge fund managers, private jet owners and oil companies – although he has called on the Joint Committee to make the final decision on how to make sure that it will not add to our deficit. So there’s no reason the Congress should not pass this bill.  

Americans Already Pay Too Much To The Government – The Last Thing We Should Do Is Raise Taxes.

The President’s proposal to repeal the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and close loopholes and subsidies for big corporations, oil companies, hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners is part of a balanced approach to getting our financial house in order. It’s an approach that asks everyone to pay their fair share and makes sure everyone gets a fair shake. Recognizing that the economy remains fragile, the plan includes no tax increases for anyone in 2011 or 2012—and, in fact,  includes $245 billion in tax cuts for workers and small businesses in these years. And the President’s plan lives up to the simple idea that we can live within our means while still making the investments we need to grow our economy, compete globally and create jobs that will ensure our future prosperity in areas including education, innovation, clean energy and infrastructure. 

As the President said in his speech last week, this is about choices: “Either we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share in taxes, or we’re going to have to ask seniors to pay more for Medicare. We can’t afford to do both. Either we gut education and medical research, or we’ve got to reform the tax code so that the most profitable corporations have to give up tax loopholes that other companies don’t get. We can’t afford to do both. This is not class warfare. It’s math.”   

The Last Stimulus Did Not Create Jobs And This One Will Not Create Jobs Either. 

Despite what critics of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act say, independent economists have determined that it did create jobs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Recovery Act created or saved as many as 3.5 million jobs as of the end of last year. And Macroeconomic Advisors, Moody’s Economy.com and IHS/Global Insight all similarly found that it created or saved well over 2 million jobs as of that point. 

As the President said in his Address to a Joint Session of Congress, “The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.” And outside experts agree. Moody’s Analytics’ Mark Zandi estimates that if Congress passed the American Jobs Act, it would add 1.9 million jobs and 2 percentage points to GDP growth in 2012. And Macroeconomic Advisors estimates that it would add 1.3 million by the end of 2012. So you don’t have to take it from us – outside experts say the American Jobs Act will put Americans back to work and grow the economy. 

How Does the American Jobs Act Help Students Gain Employment?

Students, like other workers, will benefit from the payroll tax cuts that the President has proposed to spur businesses to hire. The President’s plan would completely refund payroll taxes paid on added workers or wage increases for current workers above the level of last year’s payroll, encouraging firms to hire additional employees or raise wages for their current employees. The Act also includes $1.5 billion for summer jobs and year-round employment for low-income youth ages 16-24. Such programs can not only provide young people with their first paycheck, but also teach them life-long employment skills.    

What Will the Jobs Act Do to Help People Who Are Self-Employed?

All small business owners, including those who are self-employed, would benefit from the President’s proposed tax cuts for small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer and self-employment payroll taxes in half, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment. And if self-employed or home-based businesses want to expand, they will receive a tax break for hiring new workers.

The President’s plan also makes it easier for states to allow unemployed workers to create their own jobs by starting their own businesses, by allowing states across the nation to use federal funds to support self-employment assistance programs. The President’s plan will also enable states to connect entrepreneurs with mentoring and access to capital through SBA and other public and private resources.

 How Will You Ensure Job Creation and "Stimulus" Opportunities and Dollars Actually Reach Minority Small Businesses?

The President is proposing tax cuts that will go to every small business nationwide – including over 100,000 African-American-owned small businesses and 250,000 Hispanic-owned small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer payroll taxes in half for these businesses, provide them with an added bonus for increasing their payroll, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment. 

Additionally, the President’s plan includes administrative, regulatory and legislative measures to help small firms, including those owned by minorities start and expand. These measures include speeding up government payments to small businesses, reducing their regulatory burdens and removing some withholding requirements that keep capital out of the hands of job creators.

How Will the American Jobs Act Address Technology Gaps between Rural and Urban Areas, and what Incentives Will It Offer to Technology Entrepreneurs?

The American Jobs Act will invest in developing and deploying a nationwide wireless network for use by first responders and free up public and private spectrum to enable the private sector to deploy high-speed wireless services to at least 98 percent of Americans, even those living in remote rural and farming communities. 

The President’s plan will also support technology entrepreneurs by investing $30 billion to renovate and modernize our nation’s schools and community colleges. Part of this funding will be used to build new science and computer labs and to upgrade technology in our schools. 

Finally, technology entrepreneurs, like all small businesses would benefit from the President’s proposed tax cuts for small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer payroll taxes in half for these businesses, provide them with an added bonus for increasing their payroll, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment. 

Click here to learn more about the American Jobs Act. We’ll keep responding to the feedback we hear from you, so keep asking questions, raising concerns and letting us know what you think about the President’s plans.

Please join the conversation by commenting on the White House Facebook wall, tweeting, or visiting the White House Office of Public Engagement website.

Communications Workers of America (CWA), Larry Cohen, President:

The administration’s plan is a positive step toward overall tax fairness and ensuring that the wealthiest Americans pay at least the same percentage of their earnings as working and middle class Americans. Rates for the wealthiest Americans have been cut 75 percent in the last 50 years.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Mary Kay Henry, President:

President Obama was right to propose the millionaire’s tax and an end to the Bush tax cuts as an important step in ending tax giveaways and closing corporate loopholes for those who haven’t done their part to turn our country around.

National Partnership for Women & Families, Debra L. Ness, President:

In these tough economic times, when enormous challenges and the hardest of choices are before us, establishing priorities is more important than ever. President Obama’s Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction is a move in the right direction. It can help begin to address America's economic problems while prioritizing the health and economic survival of older and low-income women and others who are more vulnerable than ever in this recession.

Medicare Rights Center, Joe Baker, President:

The president's dedication to a balanced approach to deficit reduction, which includes significant revenue increases through mechanisms such as ending tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and corporations, helps protect programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Nancy Duff Campbell and Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-Presidents:

President Obama’s long-term deficit reduction proposal contains important provisions, including the requirement that wealthy individuals and corporations start paying their fair share of taxes and that Social Security remain intact.

Community Catalyst, Robert Restuccia, Executive Director and PICO National Network and senior pastor of Camden Bible Tabernacle Church, Rev. Heyward D. Wiggins III:

President Obama today offered a balanced approach to deficit reduction that protects middle class families, senior citizens, and children and asks for reasonable shared sacrifices from the wealthiest Americans and corporations. The plan complements the President’s much-needed jobs plan, which would put almost two million people back to work so they could support their families and have access to employer-sponsored health insurance.

AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, President:

Today President Obama said some things that very much needed to be said.  He said we need to focus first and foremost on creating jobs, and he laid out a plan for doing just that.  He said that asking millionaires like Warren Buffett to start paying their fair share in taxes is not class warfare, but simple math.  He said Social Security does not contribute one dime to the deficit and Social Security benefits must not be cut.  He said drawing down from Iraq and Afghanistan would save $1.1 trillion over 10 years, which the Super Committee could use to avoid any cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security.  And he explained once again how budget surpluses under President Clinton turned into budget deficits under President Bush: through two wars that were never paid for, tax cuts for wealthy people that we couldn't afford, and the effects of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression that was caused by a failed economic philosophy that Republicans in Congress are now trying to revive.

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (AFSCME), Gerald W. McEntee, President:

The President’s economic growth and deficit reduction proposal takes important steps toward building jobs and investing for the future.  Congress should pass President Obama’s jobs bill immediately to improve the economy and put America back to work.

AARP, Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President:

We appreciate that the President has heard the voices of the millions of AARP members and other older Americans who have been urging elected officials in Washington not to include cuts to Social Security in any deficit reduction deal.

Families USA, Ron Pollack, Executive Director:

We applaud the President’s emphasis on reducing federal budget deficits in a fair and equitable manner. It makes little sense that the burden of budget changes should be shouldered disproportionately by middle-class and lower-income Americans—with the most affluent failing to contribute their fair share.

National Education Association (NEA), Dennis Van Roekel, President:

The president is making the tough choices to get our nation’s fiscal house in order,” noted Van Roekel. “We welcome his timely call for shared sacrifice, especially among the wealthiest Americans. We applaud his effort to ensure that working families aren’t taking the brunt of our country’s economic crisis.

National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare, Max Richtman, President/CEO:

The White House has given us a desperately needed reality check offering a deficit plan providing the common-sense balance most Americans know is necessary.

B’nai B’rith, Rachel Goldberg, PhD, International Director of Aging Policy:

We are relieved to see a package that does not assume we can reduce the debt and balance the budget simply by slashing critical poverty, retirement, health care, education and infrastructure programs. There are many savings in the plan that B’nai B’rith has long supported, including making public health programs more efficient and geared toward positive health outcomes, but B’nai B’rith remains wary of some of the potential cuts.

 Find out more about the President's plan for economic growth and deficit reduction that details how to pay for the American Jobs Act.

Jon Carson is Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement.

The American Jobs Act reflects a commitment to strengthen the recovery and help increase access to jobs for all Americans. To see what impact the Jobs Act will have on your community, click on the link below.

Impact for Small Businesses and the Economy (pdf)

Impact for Hispanic Families and the Economy (pdf)

Impact for Women and the Economy (pdf)

Impact for African-American Families and the Economy (pdf)

Impact for Low-Income Families and the Economy (pdf)

Impact for Native Americans and the Economy (pdf)

Impact for Youth and the Economy (pdf)

Impact for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and the Economy (pdf)

Non-Profits and the American Jobs Act (pdf)

You can also see how the American Jobs Act will create jobs and opportunity in your state.

 Find out more about the American Jobs Act

UNITE HERE, John W. Wilhelm, President

On behalf of UNITE HERE’s 250,000 members who work in the hotel, food service, gaming and manufacturing industries, I applaud the President’s vigorous and inspired push to put America back to work. We join him in calling for the Congress to act and to act now!

Public Transportation Association (APTA), William Millar, President

On behalf of the more than 1,500 members of the American Public Transportation Association I commend President Obama for his remarks last night that highlighted creating and supporting jobs through investing in transportation infrastructure. The $50 billion in direct funding proposed in the American Jobs Act will go a long way to jump start needed transportation investments.  Every $1 billion in public transportation investment supports or creates 36,000 jobs.  Also, for every $1 invested in public transportation, $4 is generated in economic returns.

International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Gregory J. Junemann, President

The President’s plan is needed now, more than ever, and we encourage all Americans and every member of Congress to get on board in pushing this plan into law. President Obama made a great speech in outlining his plan for the restoration of the nation’s economy. And he called on all of us—each and every one of us—to support him. We must answer his call with meaningful action. Reach out to every member of Congress and demand the swift passage of the American Jobs Act.

Fraternal Order of Police, Chuck Caterbury, National President

President Obama has presented us with a sound, no nonsense, blueprint for getting Americans back to work and jumpstarting the economy. We support and applaud this effort and will work to ensure its passage by Congress.

High-Speed Rail Authority, Thomas J. Umberg, Chairman Board of Directors

High-speed rail has a rightful place in any proposal to put Americans to work. California’s project is the largest infrastructure project underway in the nation, and it means literally tens of thousands of jobs in a time when we need them the most – construction and operation jobs that cannot be outsourced. While other states may shrink from this challenge, California is ready to put investments to work immediately, strengthening our economy now and for decades to come.

Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), Michael Casserly, Executive Director

The President’s plan will not only help stimulate the economy, provide badly needed jobs, put laid-off teachers back in our classrooms, and fix our aging schools, but more importantly it will begin to rebuild the nation’s capacity to deliver 21st century educational services that meet the new higher academic standard adopted by nearly all of the states.

National School Boards Association (NSBA), Anne Bryant, Executive Director

In the face of massive budget shortfalls and education layoffs at school districts across the country, this new funding would provide necessary aid to America's schools.

American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Dan Domenech, Executive Director

The American Jobs Act would devote $25 billion to the renovation of 35,000 schools and $30 billion to preventing the layoff of 280,000 teachers.  Keeping teachers in our classrooms is essential to meeting the educational needs of our students.  Creating jobs that will make much needed repairs to our schools is a win-win situation.  We urge Congress to move towards the immediate passage of the American Jobs Act.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Dr. Antonio Flores, President and CEO

President Obama’s proposal is a step in the right direction to tackle our nation’s unemployment rate.  I encourage Congress to improve it by adding a provision to provide workforce training funds to HSIs.  The integration of this initiative in the overall plan can accelerate the President’s goal of putting more Americans to work.

Coalition of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFPI)

CEFPI calls this “a plan to boost construction jobs nationwide by providing federal money to repair public schools is picking up support among unions, economists and liberal advocates with direct ties to the White House."

Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT)

It is widely believe that this plan will include emergency funding for education jobs and school construction, an infrastructure bank, an extension of unemployment insurance, tax breaks for companies who hire unemployed workers, and an extension of the payroll tax cut.

American Association of Community Colleges

The $450 billion plan that President Obama unveiled Thursday night to try to stimulate job growth and the economy would provide $5 billion in funds to build and renovate facilities and other infrastructure at community colleges and tribal colleges.

National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities

President Obama unveiled a series of proposals to revive the stalling economy last night, among them a $30-billion spending proposal to repair and modernize buildings at elementary and secondary schools, including $5-billion to bolster the infrastructure at community colleges and tribal colleges. He had made community colleges a centerpiece of his higher-education agenda shortly after he was inaugurated, proposing a $12-billion program to rebuild community-college facilities, increase transfers to four-year colleges, and improve remedial education.

NASBE, Brenda Welburn, Executive Director

We support the president’s plan to keep teachers in classrooms and to put contractors to work renovating and modernizing those same classrooms, ensuring our students have safe and healthy places in which to learn.  When Congress passes this legislation, America wins with the immediate benefit of job creation and in the long-term with the preparation of our students for the higher education and the careers that await them.

Campaign for America’s Future, Robert Borosage, Co-Director

We support President’s call for immediate action on jobs. The crisis is clear; Washington must act. The President’s plan features elements that traditionally have received bipartisan support. Nothing should stop the Congress from acting immediately. If Republicans choose to obstruct action now, it will lay bare their apparent willingness to trade on the misery of unemployed families for potential partisan political gain. We urge the President to take his case to the American people and make it clear who is standing in the way.

African American Ministers in Action, Minister Leslie Watson Malachi, Director

President Obama laid out a common sense plan to help put Americans back to work. Without a doubt, Congress should step up to the plate and pass this legislation without delay.

Committee for Education Funding (CEF)

We applaud the $30 billion for school modernization to improve learning conditions for students in some 35,000 schools and expand capacity at community colleges, and the $30 billion to save some 280,000 jobs for teachers, counselors, librarians, custodians and other educators to ensure that students are not shortchanged by education program eliminations and unreasonable class sizes.

National PTA, Betsy Landers, President

National PTA applauds the President’s commitment to invest in education. Our economy is in crisis, and efforts to provide a high-quality education to every child are key to overcoming this crisis and ensuring competitiveness in an increasingly global economy.  Our children deserve enough teachers and school support personnel on hand, safe and comfortable school facilities, and the opportunity to graduate ready for college and career.

Johnson Controls, Mark F. Wagner

We are encouraged by the President’s call to include the retrofitting of America’s schools with energy efficiency upgrades in the proposed American Jobs Act.  Those of us already engaged in retrofitting buildings see the impact on job creation every day: there are new jobs in old buildings, including our nation’s schools. Most of the schools across the country were built long before energy efficiency was a concern. They are older, dated facilities and consume a great deal of energy.  A school’s largest operational expense is paying for energy and they are spending about 25-30% more than they should, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That money could and should be redirected for educational purposes. The additional good news is that money spent on energy efficiency upgrades has a payback based on reduce energy and operational costs after the work is completed.  As a leader in energy retrofits for public and private institutions, Johnson Controls has worked with school districts across the country to improve energy efficiency, enabling them to redirect savings for educational purposes, while at the same time putting people to work in local communities. Improving the energy efficiency of schools is one of the key investments we can make: it helps reduce energy costs, improves the school environment, creates local jobs and pays for itself.

The Window & Door Manufacturers Association, Michael P. O'Brien, President and CEO

The Window & Door Manufacturers Association has been a longtime proponent of improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s existing building stock, which consumes nearly forty percent of the nation’s energy.  At the same time, investing in energy efficient building upgrades helps create and preserve jobs in the severely depressed building industry.  The President’s school modernization proposal has the potential for both a positive impact on energy efficiency and job creation at a time when both are sorely needed and WDMA applauds such efforts.

US Green Building Council, Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair, U.S. Green Building Council

The President’s proposal tonight will go a long way toward jump starting jobs across every sector of the building community, a sector especially hard hit by the struggling economy. Energy retrofits especially are a cornerstone to broader economic recovery in every sector, and nowhere will that be more important than in our homes, our neighborhoods and our schools.  In fact, there is a long list of school infrastructure improvements ready to go and awaiting funding. Not only could this mean great things for the economy and the millions of professionals in the building industry desperate to get back to work,  it means great things for the health and well being of our children.

Clean Economy Development Center, Jeffrey King, Executive Director

The President’s proposal to modernize 35,000 American schools will create family-supporting jobs and new public-private partnerships in communities all across the country. It is also a critical step toward making America’s future workforce more skilled and more competitive. The Clean Economy Development Center will do its part by helping local leaders to build the public-private partnerships required to modernize our schools, create jobs and grow America’s clean economy.

American Association of School Administrators, Dan Domenech, Executive Director

The American Jobs Act would devote $25 billion to the renovation of 35,000 schools and $30 billion to preventing the layoff of 280,000 teachers. Keeping teachers in our classrooms is essential to meeting the educational needs of our students. Creating jobs that will make much needed repairs to our schools is a win-win situation. We urge Congress to move towards the immediate passage of the American Jobs Act.

National Indian Education Association (NIEA)

The NIEA supports the President’s plan to invest $30 billion dollars in our public schools, community and tribal colleges. At present 63 of 183 (approximately one third) of federal schools for American Indians administered by the federal government’s Bureau of Indian Affairs are in poor condition, making it unsafe and difficult for Indian children to learn.  The NIEA supports this proposal because it will create jobs and economic development in rural and tribal communities where these BIA schools and tribal community colleges are located. The President’s proposal is a win-win for Indians because it will create jobs and economic development and will enable our Indian students to attend safe schools.

Future Educators Association/PDK International Family of Associations, Leilani Bell, President

After hearing President Obama’s speech last night, I felt inspired to continue my education and fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher. My goal is to teach in an urban school that is outfitted with cutting-edge technology like what the President described.  As a future teacher I realize the importance of not just being a quality teacher, but in having the tools and the environment that will inspire students to want to stay in school and to learn. It’s encouraging to know that the President recognizes this too.

Learning First Alliance, Cheryl Scott Williams, Executive Director of the Learning First Alliance

I fully support President Obama’s initiative and agree that every child deserves a great school and that we have a responsibility to one another to act as one nation and one people in support of ensuring a great education for all our students.   Modernizing aging school buildings and putting teachers back to work on behalf of America’s students are key to making that vision a reality.

Alliance for Excellent Education, Bob Wise, President of the Alliance for Excellent Education, and former governor of West Virginia

The nation’s schools are in need of an upgrade in order to provide students with a 21st century education. Technology is changing nearly every facet of life, and we must capitalize on the opportunities offered by technology to strengthen the nation’s schools. The President’s school modernization proposal would help schools develop the technological infrastructure to strengthen instruction and prepare our students for success in college and careers. This investment in schools today will pay large dividends in the future.

National Wildlife Federation, Larry Schweiger, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation

The President's plan to modernize America's schools and make them cleaner and safer for students though the American Jobs Act is also an opportunity for them to be greener and more energy efficient.  This will help student health and learning, support job creation and decrease the schools' environmental footprints.

Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO)

In his September 8 address to the Joint Session of Congress, President Obama announced
his American Jobs Act, which includes a major investment in our nation’s education system. The President’s comments reiterated his commitment to the education system and his belief that education is a vital component of economic recovery in America. The President’s plan will invest $35 billion—some of which will be earmarked to prevent up to 280,000 teacher layoffs. ASBO International is pleased with this continued focus on keeping teachers in the classroom and bringing back into the classroom, those teachers who were laid off, as well as other staff critical to the successful operation of a school system.

Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), Dr. Conrad Giles, Chair

The jobs crisis exists throughout the entire country. No community, rural or urban, big or small, has been untouched. With such widespread need for new job opportunities and assistance, Congress should begin work on the President’s recommendations for improvements to our homes, schools, and roads without delay. These projects will both revitalize our communities and put Americans back to work. Long term recovery will require investments across varied industries and sectors. We appreciate the President’s endorsement of support to our teachers and health care providers. We urge Congress to consider as well the police and firefighters we depend on. Additionally, nonprofits, which provide vital services during recessions, are themselves suffering, and will continue to do so without Federal support.

Paralyzed Veterans, Homer S. Townsend, Jr., National Executive Director

I think most Americans would agree that veterans deserve a fair shot at the American Dream -- and at the heart of that dream is a good job at a good company or organization. We welcome the president making this one of his top priorities, especially with veterans unemployment being so high. Tackling unemployment is a complex problem, and no one has the perfect solution. So we need all leaders, and all sectors -- public and private -- to play their part to get this economy moving for everyone, and especially our unemployed veterans who have so many great skills to offer.

Find out more about the American Jobs Act

Teamsters, Jim Hoffa, General President
“Congress must pass President Obama’s plan now. The jobs crisis is an American problem. It isn’t President Obama’s problem and it isn’t a Republican or Democratic problem. All Americans need to come together to create good jobs for the good of our economy and the good of our country.”

Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Mary Kay Henry, President
“Tonight, President Obama displayed the leadership America needs by laying out a strong agenda to get America back to work. The proposals he outlined are an excellent starting point in the crucial effort to create good jobs now.”

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), Joseph Hansen, President
 “President Obama’s plan for job creation, including a private fund to rebuild our roads and schools, a tax cut for companies that hire workers and help for the long-term unemployed, is a good start.  The nation’s job crisis demands leadership from President Obama, but he cannot revive the economy alone.  Bold leadership is also needed from Republicans in Congress and the business community in order to create jobs that can support a family and rebuild the middle class.”

Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), Terry O’Sullivan, General President
“We applaud President Obama's bold, smart, progressive plan for putting Americans back to work. At its foundation, The American Jobs Act is based on something we’ve always believed – if America wants to continue being a great nation, it needs to outbuild its rivals and ensure it has the greatest transportation system in the world.”

The Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA), Joseph J. Nigro, General President
“Last night, President Obama displayed the leadership America needs by outlining out a strong agenda to get America back to work. Action is needed on these proposals now to get America moving again.”

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), Pete Ruane, President & CEO
"We commend President Obama for underscoring the urgent need to improve the nation's transportation network to boost long-term economic competitiveness and create new jobs.”

AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, President
“The President took an important and necessary step tonight: he started a serious national conversation about how to solve our jobs crisis.  He showed working people that he is willing to go to the mat to create new jobs on a substantial scale.  Tonight’s speech should energize the nation to come together, work hard and get serious about jobs.”

United Steelworkers, Leo W. Gerard, International President
"President Obama has made it clear to us that job creation is his top priority – now it needs to become one for this Congress. Unemployment is stuck near double-digits and the economy stagnant. We need action now. Inaction is unacceptable.”

Transport Workers Union, AFL-CIO President James C. Little
“Tonight we acknowledge President Obama’s bold call to Congress to stop the political circus and finally work on creating jobs, and protecting the livelihood of our workers.”

United Association, William P. Hite, General President
“Challenging Congress to put aside partisan politics and do the right thing for American workers, President Obama laid out a bold plan to revive our economy and turn our country around.  Jobs, jobs, jobs – was the key theme of the President’s address and in his message he once again demonstrated his unwavering support for and commitment to American workers. He also showed great personal courage in taking his message directly to the United States Congress and to the American public.”

NEA, Dennis Van Roekel, President
"President Obama clearly understands that quality education is the key to our nation's future. He's putting America's unemployed construction workers back on the job to help modernize our aging K-12 schools and community colleges. We are pleased and encouraged that the President continues demonstrate his commitment to the success of all students by helping to make sure they have  the best possible learning environment-a key element of quality education." 

American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Randi Weingarten, President
“President Obama’s bold plan is the right antidote to help solve our persistent economic problems. The president wisely decided to invest in jobs and programs that will rebuild our nation to meet its promise and potential. Congress must pass this jobs package immediately so that students will have the teachers they need and fewer rundown schools; drivers will have better roads and bridges; and Americans will have better opportunities to get and keep good jobs, and have more money in their pockets.”

ClayCo, Inc., Robert G. Clark, CEO
“President Obama has been keeping his promises and making the tough choices. All of us need to come together and support his leadership and his ideas, because in the long haul it will be the best strategy for all of us. To my family, Friends and all of our employees across the country, I am pledging my support to you and to the President.”

The Orthodox Union, Nathan Diament, Director of Public Policy
“The Orthodox Union commends President Obama for recognizing the key role non-profit employers play in America, including in our overall employment landscape.  If enacted -- and structured in a way that tax-exempt non-profits can access -- the tax cuts and subsidies, will aid the non-profit sector which has suffered greatly during the economic downturn.”

Environment America, Anna Aurilio, Director of the Washington D.C. Office
“We are pleased that the president’s speech highlights an important fact: that a healthy economy can, and in fact must, go hand in hand with a healthy environment. The president recognized tonight that rolling back key protections for our environment and public health will do nothing to help our economy, and rather will cost us and our families dearly.”

The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Milton Rosado, National President
“We welcomed the President’s message on jobs and the need for both parties to come together to put people back to work. We are weary of partisan bickering when our members and countless families are in need of jobs and those that teach, nurse and protect our communities are facing attacks to their labor rights, security, and job quality.  Now we need our elected officials to show us that they have the courage to focus on what is critical at this point in time: job creation.  We are encouraged by the President’s strategy to revitalize our economy and expand the middle class by rebuilding our infrastructure, reviving American manufacturing, and rewarding job creators and working people, not those that turn their backs on our communities and outsource jobs.”

The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Hector E. Sanchez, Executive Director
“We commend the President for recognizing that this economic crisis is not a race to the bottom and must not serve as a pretext to do away with fundamental rights. Collective bargaining is a tool for social mobility and a key component to build a healthy middle class. We will continue working to promote the creation of quality jobs that will expand access to the middle class to all working families. This is why maintaining basic social protections are a priority and LCLAA will continue fighting to preserve Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and unemployment insurance”.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Andy Herrmann, President-elect:
“Tonight, President Obama made clear his commitment to investing in our nation’s infrastructure and the importance that such an effort will have to America’s economy and international competitiveness. ASCE is heartened by the President’s call to invest more than $90 billion in America’s infrastructure, and his recognition that these critical funds will improve lives while at the same time creating thousands of jobs. We believe, as the President said tonight, that a “world class infrastructure” is what made America great. Reinvesting in that infrastructure can support a return to U.S. prosperity.”

National Partnership for Women & Families, Debra L. Ness, President
“The initiatives President Obama proposed tonight are important to the country, to future generations, and to women and families right now.  America needs to get back on track as a nation where hardworking people can support themselves and their families, and we need lawmakers to put aside partisan differences and put in place the measures America needs.  President Obama laid out a solid plan tonight that can make a real difference for millions of women.”
 

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Terry Stone
 “It’s time for Congress to stop the arguing, posturing and worrying about their jobs and to start concentrating on getting Americans back to work.  President Obama’s message was clear---We can’t wait any longer.” 

Our Time, Matthew Segal, President
"President Obama gave an excellent speech tonight for young Americans that referenced millions of teens without summer jobs and the critical need for workforce training in emerging industries such as engineering and computer science. Given that the average soldier returning from Iraq or Afghanistan is in his or her mid-twenties, I am glad the American Jobs Act will specifically provide tax credits for businesses that employ young veterans. Perhaps most importantly, the President's recognition that Americans "cannot wait 14 months until his next election" for Congressional action on jobs is inspiring to a generation who is currently experiencing the highest unemployment rate and is increasingly disenchanted with the excessive partisanship in Washington."   

Third Way
“With this speech, the President reaffirmed that he is a pro-growth Democrat. His plan includes ideas from the left,right, and center to rev up the jobs engine in the short term and grow the economy in the long term. His plan reduces the cost of business and hiring, invests in America’s infrastructure, puts more money in taxpayers’ pockets, and doesn’t add a dime to the deficit. It is the right combination of discipline and imagination that will hopefully get the economy moving faster.”

Americans for Financial Reform
“We applaud President Obama for focusing on measures to create jobs, and address the terrible problem of unemployment facing American families and communities.”

Natural Resources Defense Council, Frances Beinecke
“Tonight President Obama laid out a comprehensive plan for getting more Americans back on the job.  Unlike Republican leaders in Congress, the president did not try to use the economic crisis as an excuse to destroy bedrock environmental safeguards or to continue to subsidize big oil companies.”

National Council of La Raza, Janet Murguía, President and CEO
“We commend President Obama for laying out the need for more aggressive policy action to stimulate job creation.” 

The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), Dean Baker, Co-Director
“It is encouraging to hear that President Obama included work sharing as part of his jobs agenda. This is a job creation measure that both has been shown to be successful and has the potential to break through partisan gridlock.”

U.S. Green Building Council, Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair
“The President’s proposal tonight will go a long way toward jump starting jobs across every sector of the building community, a sector especially hard hit by the struggling economy. Energy retrofits especially are a cornerstone to broader economic recovery in every sector, and nowhere will that be more important than in our homes, our neighborhoods and our schools.  In fact, there is a long list of school infrastructure improvements ready to go and awaiting funding. Not only could this mean great things for the economy and the millions of professionals in the building industry desperate to get back to work,  it means great things for the health and well being of our children.”

American Institute of Architects, Clark Manus, President
“We find several issues on which we agree in the President’s sweeping jobs proposal, including extending the payroll tax cut for another year and his emphasis on rebuilding America’s infrastructure, which includes homes and commercial buildings in the President’s view.”
 

Robert Creamer, Democracy Partners 
“What was needed was a package of proposals that were bold, projected urgency, and will create jobs now.  The President delivered.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Wade Henderson, President and CEO
“President Obama’s American Jobs Act contains a number of strong proposals that will help reduce unemployment in the short term, and put our nation on a more solid economic footing in the long term. They are proposals that can and should receive strong bipartisan support – even in today’s contentious political climate – and Congress should act on them without delay.”

National Employment Law Project, Christine Owens, Executive Director
“The President made a strong case tonight for the urgent need to put America back to work.  He laid out a plan that could jump start job growth and return millions to paid employment.  After months focused on the wrong priorities, it is past time for our leaders to shift their attention to job creation, front and center.  We are glad the President has tackled this crisis head-on, and we urge Congress to take him up on the call to act immediately.”

TechAmerica, Phil Bond, President and CEO
“The President’s plan offered some reason for hope for the technology industry, addressing some of the fundamental issues required for the industry to continue to flourish; namely trade, tax reform and talent. We whole-heartedly agree that to help American innovation companies we must “out-build, out-educate and out-innovate”.  

 National Jewish Democratic Council, David A. Harris, President & CEO
“Tonight, the contrast has never been clearer: behind door number one, we have President Obama, presenting a powerful American Jobs Act based on ideas that have been supported by Democrats and Republicans alike. Behind door number two, we have GOP House leaders and presidential candidates paying only lip service to jobs, while instead focusing squarely on divisive social issues and slashing programs that most Americans hold dear. Any unemployed or underemployed American should choose door number one in a heartbeat.”

 Center for American Progress (CAP)
“Tonight, President Obama put forth a plan whose boldness matches the size of the challenge. It is pragmatic and sharply focused on the biggest obstacles holding back economic growth. And it is fiscally responsible.”

American Legion, Fang A. Wong, National Commander
“The American Legion heartily welcomes the jobs plan initiatives pertaining to veterans announced by President Obama, especially since they reinforce the White House’s commitment to get more veterans employed.”

Small Business Majority
“President Obama’s speech today on the American Jobs Act underscores the fact that all roads to a brighter economic future start with small business. We applaud the president for highlighting the need to cut taxes for small businesses and offsetting those cuts by closing corporate tax loopholes, which do no harm to small firms. Additionally, his focus on putting middle class Americans back to work and boosting their spending power is imperative for our entrepreneurs, as they are small businesses’ primary customers. We have an employment problem, and small businesses create 65 percent of all new jobs. Spotlighting small business will help create a cycle of prosperity that directly benefits the economy by putting America back to work.”

U.S. PIRG Tax and Budget, Dan Smith, Associate
“President Obama was right to call for bold new investments in our outdated transportation infrastructure. Fixing our roads and building new railways won’t just put thousands of unemployed construction workers back to work now; it will allow America to meet the demands of a competitive 21st century economy.”

Sierra Club
“The Sierra Club applauds President Obama’s plan to put Americans back to work and renew our nation’s role as a global leader in innovation.  We are encouraged by his commitment to protecting Americans from toxic pollution such as mercury, leveling the playing field, ending subsidies for Big Oil and building a clean energy economy that works for all Americans.”

 Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Dr. Conrad Giles, Chair
“The jobs crisis exists throughout the entire country. No community, rural or urban, big or small, has been untouched. With such widespread need for new job opportunities and assistance, Congress should begin work on the President’s recommendations for improvements to our homes, schools, and roads without delay.These projects will both revitalize our communities and put Americans back to work. Long term recovery will require investments across varied industries and sectors. We appreciate the President’s endorsement of support to our teachers and health care providers. We urge Congress to consider as well the police and firefighters we depend on. Additionally, nonprofits, which provide vital services during recessions, are themselves suffering, and will continue to do so without Federal support.”

The National Committee, Max Richtman, President/CEO
“We applaud President Obama for refocusing our national attention to where it should be--economic recovery--while offering relief that many Americans desperately need. We agree wholeheartedly with the President, the time to act is now and we hope Congress will move quickly to make job creation priority #1.”

Building and Construction Trades Department, Mark H. Ayers, President 
“President Obama has put forth a plan that will help restore confidence in our economy in both the near and long term.  We call on Congress to act and look forward to working with the Administration and Congress on all elements of this proposal.” 

Hispanic Federation, Lillian Rodríguez-López, President
“The Hispanic community has been devastated by the economic downturn that started nearly five years ago. The President’s proposal will ensure that unemployed Americans have access to supports that help them provide for themselves and their families, will provide tax relief both for small business and individuals, will enhance summer youth employment programs, strengthen our schools and make strides toward addressing the long-term persistent unemployment rate that has disproportionately impacted Hispanics. What is needed now is for our elected leadership to come together and take swift action to pass these needed reforms so that millions of Hispanics can get back on a path to economic prosperity.”

BlueGreen Alliance, David Foster, Executive Director
“President Obama tonight turned the nation’s attention to creating good, American jobs. His agenda will set the stage for revitalizing our economy and doing the work that America needs done. Now the Congress needs to respond by quickly breaking the logjam on the jobs crisis.”

National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, Dr. Bruce Siegel, CEO
“The National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) commends President Barack Obama for recognizing the need to stimulate job creation and offering Congress a plan to do so.”

National Center for Transgender Equality, Mara Keisling, Executive Director
“Americans need and want decisive action to create jobs for regular people. President Obama’s proposal is decisive and right on point. Congress needs to step up, do their part and pass the American Jobs Act immediately. “

National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell, Co-Founders
“Last night, President Obama demonstrated strong leadership and clear vision addressing the Joint Session of Congress. While far too many in Washington, DC focus on the political horse race, the president shined the spotlight where it belongs; on the millions of Americans, many of them LGBT, who are working too hard to give their families a better life to read the latest poll numbers.”

Find out more about the American Jobs Act

When Republicans called for a budget that would have ended Medicare as we know it, made catastrophic cuts to Medicaid, cut investments in education by 25%, clean energy by 70% and infrastructure spending by 30% - voices from around the country made clear they did not support this direction for our country.

In between your full-time job, cooking dinners, shuttling kids to birthday parties, and caring for ailing family members (just to name a few of the things that keep us all, myself included, a little sleep-deprived), you made your voices heard by attending town hall meetings, posting hundreds of blogs and sharing thousands of Tweets. Make no mistake – the chorus of your collective voices made a profound impact on protecting programs and investments in our future we care about.

Tonight the President will lay out his plan to put America back to work.  If you agree with President Obama’s vision – don’t stay silent. We know how hard you worked this summer, and we know how busy you’ll be this fall, but if you want to see Washington put politics aside, and pass the President’s jobs plan – then let us hear from you. 

Jon Carson is Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement.

Find out more about the American Jobs Act

Jon Carson, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Public Engagement, speaks at a Small Business Summit in Orangeburg, South Carolina on August 23, 2011.

One small business owner wrote to President Obama after the South Carolina event:

By far, this was the best government sponsored event I have ever attended…It gave me a new direction and a new market to approach…. I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the other Government Officials that were informative and current with Small Business Issues.  I am proud to have them representing and serving our Country. They made me feel like we can build the America we dreamed of in the past and can dream of now.

Our goal with these events is to create an unprecedented level of access to agency program buyers and representatives. During the event in Orangeburg, over 26 program buyers and agency representatives attended from seven federal agencies, including Defense, GSA, and Health and Human Services. Just two weeks ago, over 180 agency program buyers and representatives participated in a three-day small business matchmaking event in New Orleans with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.

President Obama often says that small businesses are the “backbone of our economy and the cornerstone of our community.” We realize how important small business owners and minority entrepreneurs are to creating jobs, and that is why it is important that we start by doing business with you.

Jon Carson is Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Public Engagement.

Tuesday’s budget compromise creates a joint committee of Congress, which you might have seen referred to as the “super committee.” This committee is responsible for developing a bipartisan plan for reducing our deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. (That’s on top of about $1 trillion from the down payment that was included in the first phase of the deal.) 

At the White House Office of Public Engagement, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about exactly how the joint committee will work. We've created an infographic that illustrates the process, but I’d also like to answer a few of those questions below.

Q: Who’s on the joint committee?

A: Six Democrats, and six Republicans. Each of four party leaders in Congress will choose three members of the committee, so half will come from the House, and half from the Senate.

Q: As the joint committee comes up with a plan, what’s on the table?

A: Everything. The joint committee has no restrictions on where it can find ways to reduce our deficit. It can eliminate tax loopholes, just like it can cut spending. President Obama believes that the committee should listen to the vast majority of Americans who support a balanced approach that includes revenue.

Q: The first round of deficit reduction was made up entirely of spending cuts. Will the second round be as well?

A: The short answer is no. The Committee can look at the entire budget including revenue and entitlements. And the President has made it clear that he will only accept a balanced approach.

Q: Republicans have refused to support a balanced approach in the past. Why would they support one now?

A: The threat of allowing our nation to default gave Republicans a lot of leverage in the first round of negotiations. In the second round, that changes. First, if the joint committee doesn’t come up with the kind of approach both parties can support, it sets up a “trigger,” something Democrats and Republicans both want to avoid. (I’ll explain the trigger in more detail below.)

Second, the Bush high-income tax cuts are set to expire on January 1, 2013. This forces Congress to deal with this issue, and if Congress does vote to extend these special tax breaks, the President can use his veto pen to end them. This gives Republicans added incentive to compromise on an approach that balances spending reductions and closing tax loopholes.

Q: When the joint committee comes up with its plan, what happens next?

A: If seven out of the 12 members of the joint committee approve a plan, it moves to a straight up-or-down vote in Congress. No filibusters, no amendments, and no procedural tricks. If Congress approves the plan, and President Obama signs it, it goes into law.

Q: What happens if the joint committee can’t reach a deficit reduction agreement that passes Congress?

A: If the joint committee can’t come up with a plan that the Senate, the House, and President Obama can all approve by January 15, 2012, it automatically sets off what’s known as a “trigger.” This trigger puts pressure on both sides to compromise, because it would make cuts that would be painful for Democrats and Republicans alike – half the cuts would come from domestic programs, and half from defense.

However, President Obama made sure that Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare benefits would not be cut in the event that the trigger is set off. Neither would programs for the most vulnerable, such as food stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Q: The President says he wants to see a balanced approach. What exactly does that look like?

A: A balanced approach means that everything is on the table, and everyone pays their fair share. This could include reforms to programs like Medicare, so they will be around for the next generation. But that would also require asking the most fortunate to do their part: closing loopholes in the tax code, ending wasteful subsidies to corporations, and asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.

Polls have consistently shown that the majority of Americans support the President’s call for balance and compromise.

Q: What can I do to make a difference?

A: During this debate, President Obama asked the American people to urgeWashington to put partisanship aside, and make the tough choices that are best for the country. Your voice made a huge difference in protecting programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security during the first stage of this deal.

If you agree with President Obama – if you support a balanced approach – don’t stay silent on this issue. If you want to see Washington compromise, put politics aside, and ask all Americans to pay their fair share – then make your voice heard.

And stay in touch with the Office of Public Engagement! Visit Whitehouse.gov/engage to learn how Americans from all over the country are changing the way Washington does business, both in this debate, and on a wide variety of other issues.

Related: Jon Carson addresses the myths and facts about the debt-ceiling compromise

The budget compromise removes the cloud of uncertainty over the economy, and takes important steps toward reducing our deficit. In that sense, it’s a win for all Americans. (A picture is worth a thousand words, so click here to see an infographic on exactly how this agreement will work going forward.)

Here at the Office of Public Engagement, we’ve been working overtime to help explain all the details of this deal – and why we think it’s a win for our shared agenda. We also know that in the rush to figure out exactly what the deal is all about, there has been a lot of inaccurate information and analysis. 

Below, I’ve tried to address, head-on, some the most common misconceptions we’ve been hearing about the deal. 

Myth: President Obama caved.

Fact: President Obama laid out key priorities that had to be part of any deal. Those priorities are reflected in this compromise. First, we avoided default which would have plunged the economy into a deep recession, imperiling the well-being of millions of Americans. Second, the initial down payment on deficit reductions does not cut low-income and safety-net programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Third, we set up a path forward that will put pressure on Congress to adopt a balanced approach. And finally, we raised the debt ceiling until 2013, ensuring that House Republicans could not use the threat of default in just a few months to force severe cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Myth: Republicans got everything they wanted

Fact: They won’t admit it publicly, but when push came to shove, Republicans backed down on their key demands. For months, Republicans called for a budget that would have ended Medicare as we know it, made catastrophic cuts to Medicaid, or cut investments in education by 25 percent, clean energy by 70 percent and infrastructure spending by 30 percent. As if that wasn’t enough, they also demanded that we repeat this debt-ceiling crisis, just a few months from now.

None of these of these demands made it into a final deal.

Myth: This deal cuts Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Fact:  There are no changes to these programs included in the initial phase of this agreement. In the second phase of the agreement, everything will be on the table – and the President has made clear that the committee must pursue a balanced approach where reforms to programs like Medicaid, Social Security or Medicare would only be acceptable if coupled with higher revenues from the most fortunate. 

Myth: This deal reduces the deficit entirely on the backs of the middle class.

Fact: While the initial down payment on deficit reduction - about $1 trillion – will require belt-tightening, it still will allow us to invest in the programs and priorities we care about most. Moreover, hundreds of billions of this initial round of cuts will come from security spending.

As we negotiated the domestic side of the cuts, we protected our historic new investments in Pell Grants as part of the down payment. For the second phase, we made sure that  programs for the most vulnerable, like food stamps, Medicaid and the Earned Income Tax Credit, would not be hit by the “trigger,” the automatic cuts that will go into place if Congress does not find an acceptable compromise.

Myth: The joint committee -- the so-called "super committee" -- makes it easier for Congress to cut the programs we care about.

Fact: The joint committee system puts pressure on Republicans to seek compromise. As we all know, in this round of deficit reduction, there wasn’t a lot of leverage bringing Republicans to the table. In round two, that changes.

If Republicans aren't willing to compromise, then the joint committee will fail. This would automatically trigger an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction designed to be painful for both sides, with half that coming from savings in the defense budget.

Myth: Since we weren’t able to raise revenues right now, we won’t be able to raise revenues in the future.

Fact: The deal lays out two paths for further reducing our deficit. Both of them include revenues. Option one is for the joint committee to develop a plan that is passed by both Houses of Congress, and signed by President Obama. The President has already said that he will only support a balanced approach involving shared sacrifice. That means raising revenue through steps such as closing loopholes for corporations, reforming our tax code, and asking millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share in taxes.

If the joint committee cannot develop a balanced compromise,that brings us to option two for raising revenues: the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. On January 1, 2013, President Obama can use his veto pen to end special tax breaks for high-income Americans if Congress votes to extend them.

President Barack Obama signs the Budget Control Act of 2011 in the Oval Office, Aug. 2, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In recent days, White House officials have been meeting with organizations like The Arc, MomsRising, and Family Voices to discuss the important role Medicaid plays in the lives of millions of Americans. They heard from parents of children with developmental, intellectual and physical  disabilities who told us about Medicaid providing the services and supports so their children could thrive in the community when no one had given them a chance. They heard from mothers who would go without health care but for Medicaid and families where Medicaid has helped change and save lives.

The families we met and the stories they told put a human face on the discussions going on in Washington. From Family Voices we met Laura, a passionate young girl and aspiring author from Indiana.  Through MomsRising we met Gail from Utah who would not be here today without the support Medicaid provided as she dealt with breast cancer . And through The Arc we met the Keaton family of West Virginia and their 18-month-old son Graysen, who has DiGeorge Syndrome.

We know that Medicaid helps provide services so that people with disabilities can be sisters, and brothers, daughters and sons, friends, peers, and classmates -- not patients. And yesterday, Sherry Glied from HHS wrote about a landmark new study that outlines the tremendous benefits that come from having Medicaid coverage. That’s why President Obama has proposed a package of reforms that save money and strengthen this critical program without shifting the cost of care to our seniors or people with disabilities. 

Medicaid can be more efficient and the President’s plan helps streamline the program to save money and provide better care. But the President’s plan stands in sharp contrast to the Republican plan that transforms Medicaid into a dramatically underfunded block grant. Under the Republican plan, states would get one-third less for Medicaid by 2021, potentially leaving 15 million people without coverage, including seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, children and pregnant women.

The families my colleagues met with traveled many miles to share their stories with us and as the discussion about our fiscal future continues, we will be doing all we can to fight for them and the millions of Americans who depend on Medicaid each and every day.

Jon Carson is Deputy Assistant to President and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement
 

The White House is proud to feature these stories of Americans who are doing extraordinary things in their communities to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.  Each week, we will invite individuals from many walks of life to the White House to meet with Administration officials and share with us what they are doing to build a better tomorrow.

The first group to be featured in the series are Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who have used their experiences abroad to affect change in their local communities. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer myself, I know that service does not end when a Volunteer's tour is over. My experience in the Peace Corps gave me the tools necessary to affect a greater change in my community at home.

The best ideas come when we band together in pursuit to better the world around us. Every Returned Peace Corps Volunteer knows this.

I'd like to invite you to join us.  Learn their stories, share them with the world, and celebrate the success of these Champions of Change. And if you know someone who is doing extraordinary things to make a difference in your community, nominate them to be a Champion of Change. We’ll consider your nominations as we invite people who are bringing about change in their communities to the White House to share their ideas on how to win the future.

Jon Carson served in Honduras from 2004-2006 and is now the Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement