Unemployment Insurance Extension in US / Transcripts: President Obama’s and House Speaker John Boehner Jan. 7 remarks

PRESIDENT OBAMA: … Five years ago this month, our economy was shedding 800,000 jobs, just in one month. But as Americans buckled down and worked hard and sacrificed, we began to come back. And our businesses have created more than 8 million new jobs since we hit the bottom. Our auto industry’s gone from bust to boom. Manufacturing’s rebounding. The housing market’s rebounding. Stock markets are restoring retirement accounts. The promise of energy independence is actually in sight. Health care costs eat up less of our economy. Over the past four years, costs have grown at the slowest rate on record. And since I’ve took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half.

So America’s getting stronger and we’ve made progress and the economy is growing. And we’ve got to do more to make sure that all Americans share in that growth. We’ve got to help our businesses create more jobs. We’ve got to make sure those jobs offer the wages and benefits that let families rebuild a little security. In other words, we got to make sure that this recovery leaves nobody behind. And we’ve got a lot of work to do on that front.

The good news is I’m optimistic we can do it if we do it together. Now, before the holidays both parties compromised on a budget that lifts some of the drag that’s been on the economy from these indiscriminate cuts we call sequester. And as a consequence, this year we may see more stability when it comes to economic growth. And I think I’m not alone in saying that we are all grateful in the new year that we won’t have another partisan shutdown, hopefully, going forward. (Applause.)…

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at 

via Remarks by the President on the Importance of Extending Emergency Unemployment Insurance | The White House.

Boehner Statement on the extension of “emergency” unemployment insurance

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) released the following statement after the Senate vote on the extension of “emergency” unemployment insurance.

“Far too many Americans are still unemployed in President Obama’s economy. For each of them, it’s a personal crisis that we cannot overlook. Getting these people back on their feet starts with a strong safety net – six months of unemployment benefits – that we continue to have in this country. But the ultimate solution to joblessness is more jobs.

“That’s why the House has passed bill after bill that, taken together, would create a better environment for economic growth, investment, and new hiring in America. Dozens of bills are awaiting action in the Senate that would provide job skills training for the unemployed, ease job-destroying burdens on small businesses, promote innovation and education, create energy and infrastructure jobs, and get rid of the president’s health care law that is making it harder to hire workers in this country. To help Americans find new jobs, the president should call on the Senate to act on them.

“One month ago I personally told the White House that another extension of temporary emergency unemployment benefits should not only be paid for but include something to help put people back to work. To date, the president has offered no such plan. If he does, I’ll be happy to discuss it, but right now the House is going to remain focused on growing the economy and giving America’s unemployed the independence that only comes from finding a good job.”

Source:

via Boehner Statement on Jobs | Speaker.gov.