Readout of President Obama's calls on Afghanistan today

President Obama received a call today from President Karzai of Afghanistan, who reiterated his condolences for the tragic loss of 30 American service-members yesterday in Afghanistan.  President Obama noted the extraordinary service of the Americans who gave their lives, and expressed his condolences for the Afghans who died serving by their side. The two Presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the mission in Afghanistan, which is critical to the security of both our countries, and agreed to stay in close contact.

Earlier today, President Obama placed calls to General Allen and General Votel in Afghanistan, and to General Mattis and Admiral Olson in Tampa, to express his condolences for those who were lost, and to reaffirm the American peoples' support for our men and women in uniform and their families.

Statement of President Obama on Casualties in Afghanistan

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the Americans who were lost earlier today in Afghanistan. Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan. We will draw inspiration from their lives, and continue the work of securing our country and standing up for the values that they embodied.  We also mourn the Afghans who died alongside our troops in pursuit of a more peaceful and hopeful future for their country. At this difficult hour, all Americans are united in support of our men and women in uniform who serve so that we can live in freedom and security.

###

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Creating Jobs and Getting All Americans Back to Work

WASHINGTON—In this week’s address, President Obama called on Democrats and Republicans to work together to grow the economy and get Americans back to work.  The President has outlined a number of steps Congress can take right now to spur growth and create jobs, including extending tax cuts for working and middle class families, cutting red tape to encourage new businesses to grow and hire, passing trade deals that will support tens of thousands of jobs, and giving our out-of-work construction workers opportunities to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure.   

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Washington, DC

This week, Congress reached an agreement that’s going to allow us to make some progress in reducing our nation’s budget deficit.  And through this compromise, both parties are going to have to work together on a larger plan to get our nation’s finances in order.  That’s important. We’ve got to make sure that Washington lives within its means, just like families do.  In the long term, the health of our economy depends on it.

But in the short term, our urgent mission has to be getting this economy growing faster and creating jobs.  That’s what’s on people’s minds; that’s what matters to families in this country.  And the fact is, this has been a tumultuous year for the economy.  We’ve weathered the Arab Spring’s effect on oil and gas prices.  The Japanese earthquake and tsunami’s effect on supply chains.  The economic situation in Europe.  And in Washington, there was a contentious debate over our nation’s budget that nearly dragged our country into financial crisis.

So our job right now has to be doing whatever we can to help folks find work; to help create the climate where a business can put up that job listing; where incomes are rising again for people. We’ve got to rebuild this economy and the sense of security that middle class has felt slipping away for years.  And while deficit reduction has to be part of our economic strategy, it’s not the only thing we have to do.

We need Democrats and Republicans to work together to help grow this economy.  We’ve got to put politics aside to get some things done.  That’s what the American people expect of us.  And there are a number of steps that Congress can take right away, when they return in September.

We need to extend tax cuts for working and middle class families so you have more money in your paychecks next year.  That would help millions of people to make ends meet.  And that extra money for expenses means businesses will have more customers, and will be in a better position to hire.  

Yesterday, I proposed a new tax credit for companies that hire veterans who are looking for work after serving their country.  We’ve got a lot of honorable and skilled people returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and companies that could benefit from their abilities. Let’s put them together.

We need to make sure that millions of workers who are still pounding the pavement looking for jobs are not denied unemployment benefits to carry them through hard times.  

We’ve got to cut the red tape that stops too many inventors and entrepreneurs from quickly turning new ideas into thriving businesses – which holds back our whole economy.  

It’s time Congress finally passed a set of trade deals that would help displaced workers looking for new jobs, and that would allow our businesses to sell more products in countries in Asia and South America – products stamped with three words: Made in America.

And we ought to give more opportunities to all those construction workers who lost their jobs when the housing boom went bust.  We could put them to work right now, by giving loans to companies that want to repair our roads and bridges and airports, helping to rebuild America.  

Those are a few commonsense steps that would help the economy.  And these are ideas that have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans in the past.  So I’m going to keep calling on both parties in Congress to put aside their differences and send these bills to my desk so I can sign them right away.  After all, both parties share power.  Both parties share responsibility for our progress.  Moving our economy and our country forward is not a Democratic or a Republican responsibility; it is our responsibility as Americans.  

That’s the spirit we need in Washington right now. That’s how we’ll get this economy growing faster and reach a brighter day.

Thanks for listening, and have a great weekend.

Readout of the President's Phone Calls with President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel

The President spoke with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and, separately, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel this afternoon about the latest developments in the eurozone crisis.  Noting the significant steps taken at the July 21 summit of leaders of the euro area and the importance of their implementation, the President welcomed the continued leadership of President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel in addressing the challenges facing Europe’s economy.   The President also consulted with President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel on the situation in Syria.  The leaders condemned the Assad regime’s continued use of indiscriminate violence against the Syrian people. They welcomed the August 3 presidential statement by the UN Security Council condemning Syria’s actions, but also agreed to consider additional steps to pressure the Assad regime and support the Syrian people.