The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Statement by Ken Chenault, Chairman and CEO, American Express and Member of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness Backs American Jobs Act

“The need to create more jobs is the greatest challenge facing America today, and the President’s speech tonight underscored the commitment all of us must show in responding to that challenge.  As a member of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, I have worked with my colleagues to identify initiatives across different business sectors that can accelerate job creation and strengthen our economy.  We appreciate the focus the President is placing on this crucial issue and that his recommendations reflect some of the work of the Council in areas like training and support for small business.

The country knows that progress will only come as a result of sustained, bipartisan action. Those of us on the Jobs Council look forward to working with the President and congressional leaders on initiatives to create more jobs.”

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Representative Becerra Backs American Jobs Act

REP. BECERRA: TIME TO TACKLE THE BIGGEST DEFICIT WE FACE—THE JOBS DEFICIT

WASHINGTON, DC—Following President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress on job creation, Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and member of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, released the following statement:

“President Obama is right to focus the nation’s attention on the biggest deficit we face—the jobs deficit. How can we expect to balance the nation’s checkbook when 14 million Americans are out of work and having a hard time balancing theirs?

History has shown that when you invest in America by building up our schools and building out our infrastructure you create jobs and economic growth that pay the nation back many times over. And when you plant the seed of confidence in American businesses to invest in more American workers, then we can once again say that we will make it in America.

Let’s prove the cynics and naysayers wrong and support President Obama’s effort to create jobs in America.”

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO, GE, and Chairman, President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness Backs American Jobs Act

Statement from Jeff Immelt, Chairman and CEO, GE, and Chairman, President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness

FAIRFIELD, Conn., Sep 08, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt, who serves as chairman of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, today issued the following statement on President Obama's speech to Congress on jobs creation and competitiveness:

President Obama made clear tonight that it is critical that all of us work together to create jobs in America. The 26 members of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness are pleased that the President embraced several Council recommendations, including programs cutting red tape, improving our nation's infrastructure, helping U.S. universities graduate more engineers and skills training programs for advanced manufacturing and healthcare.

The Council is focused on many other actions to increase jobs and competitiveness. They include both private-sector actions and government-led initiatives.

Because more than two million construction workers are out of work, the Council identified ten high-priority infrastructure projects based on their potential to put Americans to work right away -- projects that have already been funded, but are being held up by regulations. We are working with the Administration to fast-track permitting and get these projects moving. There is broad support within the Council and the business and labor communities for investing in our nation's aviation, broadband, surface and energy systems, including improving existing financing mechanisms for our critical infrastructure needs.

The Council has held "Listening & Action" sessions with small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs across the country to identify steps that both the public and private sectors can take to create jobs and strengthen the economy. We heard from small businesses that they face too much red tape. At the Council's urging, the Administration has started a regulatory look-back, directing every agency including independent agencies, to determine how they can make their regulations more friendly to small business and more streamlined.

The Jobs Council will be making additional recommendations to the President over the next few weeks on topics such as tax policy and investment in the U.S. economy.

President Obama and congressional leaders are correctly focusing national attention on job creation. We need a sense of urgency and more collaboration around getting more Americans back to work and maintaining America's competitive leadership.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson Supports American Jobs Act

Congresswoman Wilson: Democrats and Republicans Must Come Together to Create Jobs by Passing the American Jobs Act

Proposal Would Put More People Back to Work, Including Teachers, First Responders, Veterans, and Construction Workers, and Put More Money in the Pockets of Working Families

Bipartisan Package Would Create Jobs Immediately and Won’t Add a Dime to the Deficit

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17) today expressed strong support for the Americans Jobs Act, a bipartisan proposal put forth by President Obama before a Joint Session of Congress to get our nation working again.

“Tonight, President Obama put forth a set of common-sense proposals to create new American jobs and get our nation back to work,” said Congresswoman Wilson. “Both Democrats and Republicans should come together to do what’s right for our country by passing the American Jobs Act and putting our country before politics.

“All of us, Democrats and Republicans, have constituents – teachers, first responders, veterans, and construction workers – who are desperate to get back on the job. How could anyone say no to them? These are bipartisan, middle of the road proposals that have received support from both parties in the past.

“We must also remember that we did not dig ourselves into this deep recession overnight and we can’t expect to solve our all problems in the blink of an eye. It took us eight long years to get us into this mess in the first place and it will take us longer than two and a half years to get out.”

“The President is committed to creating jobs of the future and rebuilding our economy the right way – based on fairness, hard work, responsibility, and opportunity – not through outsourcing, corporate loopholes, reckless financial deals, or special tax breaks for Big Oil and the wealthy.

“The time is now for Congress to put jobs first.”

President Obama’s plan is fully paid for by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share and by closing corporate tax loopholes. As proposed, the American Jobs Act would:

  • Cut taxes for small businesses to help them hire and grow
  • Put more money in the pockets of working Americans
  • Put more people back to work – teachers laid off from state budget cuts, veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, first responders, and construction workers rebuilding our roads, bridges, and schools
  • Help the long-term unemployed support their families as they look for work

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Backs American Jobs Act

Pelosi Statement on President Obama’s Joint Session Address

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement tonight following President Obama’s address to a Joint Session of Congress on the American Jobs Act:

“Tonight, President Obama once again stated with great clarity his commitment to grow our economy and create jobs.  Now, Congress must act with great urgency.

“President Obama offered a clear path to help small businesses succeed and hire, provide tax relief for our workers, rebuild America, and provide aid to those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.  It will put Americans back to work and it will be paid for.  

“Republicans have a choice to either work with Democrats on the immediate need to create jobs or waste more time when American families are demanding action.  America’s middle class wants solutions that will create jobs.  President Obama has put forward a plan and Democrats are prepared to act.

“Democrats have put forward a back-to-basics, ABCs plan that fits squarely with the President’s speech tonight: Make It in America, build America, and address community recovery, all in a way that is respectful of both the public and private sector.  Now it’s time to take action, and that is why I have asked all House Committee Ranking Members to call on their Chairmen to schedule immediate hearings and action on the legislation proposed by the President.”

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Senator Harry Reid Backs American Jobs Act

REID: PRESIDENT OBAMA LAYS OUT BOLD, BIPARTISAN JOBS PLAN, WILL BE LITMUS TEST FOR REPUBLICANS

Washington, D.C. — Nevada Senator Harry Reid issued the following statement after President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress and proposed a series of bold steps to end America's employment crisis.

“President Barack Obama laid out a set of bipartisan ideas to create jobs whose size and scope reflects the urgent need to put Americans back to work. Most of the ideas in this bill have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. These are common-sense solutions for getting our economy moving again and spurring hiring in the private sector. This package would give tax cuts to middle-class Americans and small businesses, put Americans back to work re-building roads, bridges and schools and help ensure that the brave Americans who put their lives on the line serving their country can find a job when they get home.

“This package of common-sense, bipartisan proposals will present a litmus test to Republicans. I hope they will show the American people that they are more interested in creating jobs than defeating President Obama. Experts from the ratings agencies to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke have said that political gridlock is the main obstacle standing in the way of our economic growth. It is time to put jobs and the economy ahead of partisan politics. Americans are looking at us for leadership, and I hope Republicans join us in passing the President’s bi-partisan jobs plan as soon as possible.”

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Matthew Rose, Chairman and CEO, BNSF Railway and Member of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness Backs American Jobs Act

I commend the President’s focus on infrastructure and its role in creating long-term economic sustainability and jobs now.  I hope that he and the Congress will be able to reform the current programs in ways that reassure Americans that they get a good return on their transportation dollar, and that federal policies open the door to more investment capital for transportation from all sources, including private markets.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Richard D. Parsons, Chairman of Citigroup and Member of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness Backs American Jobs Act

The President's proposed combination of personal and business tax relief, targeted spending to support infrastructure, and aid to states offers several direct and innovative ways of creating jobs and bolstering our economy. The President's focus on assisting small business is spot on, since small business is the engine of job creation.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

Senator Inouye Backs American Jobs Act

Senator Inouye's Statement Following President's Speech

"This evening America heard a message of hope. President Obama's speech clearly demonstrates that he is a national leader that will not rest until the work is done. We need to put  Americans back to work and the President has a plan to create jobs by fixing roads, bridges, building schools and constructing the critical infrastructure our nation desperately needs and I support him.  I stand ready to work with the President and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to once again make America the greatest nation in the world," said Senator Daniel K. Inouye.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
September 08, 2011

AFT: President's Bold Jobs Plan Will Revive Economy and Rebuild Nation

Statement by Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers

WASHINGTON—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.

Tonight, President Obama made clear that we can and must do better. This package will help provide good jobs that support families; public services that build communities; and resources for schools to provide students a high-quality and robust education in safe and healthy buildings.

President Obama also made it clear that the path to our future is through education. We have seen a loss of 300,000 education jobs since 2008 as well as long-delayed school repairs and modernization projects. We can’t equip our kids for the knowledge economy if we continue to slash education budgets. This robust plan will put people to work teaching and modernizing schools, and it will save money in energy costs that can be reinvested in education.

This White House understands that teachers should be in their classrooms, not on the unemployment lines. First lady Michelle Obama honored all teachers tonight by inviting Nicole Gentile—a third-grade teacher who is one of 344 Cleveland teachers slated to be laid off for this school year—to join her for the speech.

Closing corporate tax loopholes and asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share round out a smart, practical package that will put the United States back on track. President Obama is leading on this issue, and we hope Congress steps up and passes the jobs package swiftly.