President to Congress: Get your act together and pass this jobs bill

In his weekly address the President continued to pressure Congress to pass the American Jobs Act. Quite bluntly, President Obama addressed inaction by leaders in Washington saying, "It's time for Congress to get its act together and to pass this jobs bill so I can sign it into law."



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Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson's message supporting Democratic jobs bills

One week after President Obama delivered his jobs speech to a joint session of Congress, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) released the following message in support of the American Jobs Act. Representative Johnson also voiced full support of the Progressive Caucus' Rebuild the American Dream jobs framework.

Speaking of the American Jobs Act, Representative Johnson noted,

"As a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am especially glad to see that the President has maintained his unwavering commitment to modernizing American infrastructure. The American Jobs Act will make an immediate investment of at least $2.5 billion for infrastructure modernization that will repair and modernize our existing highways, rail and transit in the state of Texas. This investment would support at least 33,000 local Texas jobs."

Turning her attention towards the Rebuild the American Dream jobs framework, Congresswoman said the following:

"This bold plan champions several job-creating bills that seek to encourage manufacturing in America: Investments in research and innovation so that America will lead the green industrial revolution; fair taxes; infrastructure investment; and preparation of our youth so that they will be prepared for the jobs of the future."

Representative Bernice Johnson is a co-sponsor of a bill to come from the jobs framework titled, "The Emergency Jobs to Restore the American Dream Act." You can read more about the framework, here.

The following message was released a little over two weeks ago on September 15, 2011:

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Live White House Feed: President Obama speaks to Congressional Black Caucus

Update I: The President's speech to the Congressional Black Caucus has concluded. The video will be posted when/if it becomes available.

Update II: The video of President Obama's speech to the CBC is posted below

Washington, D.C. - The President spoke at a gathering of the Congressional Black Caucus Saturday evening to address jobs and the need to "press on" despite the obstacles and adversaries that lay in the path to equality.

Tying the American Jobs Act to the needs of the Black community, President Obama was clear that there is much to be gained. In his speech to the Caucus the President claimed that 100,000 Black businesses and 20 million Black workers would be helped by passage of his jobs bill (presumably, these figures are estimates).

The President went further in highlighting his record on addressing Black concerns, pointing towards gains made with the help of members such as the CBC on issues ranging from education loans to health care reform.

But the President made it clear that he was not finished in his pursuit of a better, fairer society for the Black community. He challenged the CBC to continue working as well. "I don't know about you CBC," President Obama said, "but the future rewards those who press on."

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President Obama takes American Jobs Act to Ohio on chants of "Pass this bill"

Columbus, OH - First stop, Richmond, VA. Next stop, Columbus, OH. President Obama made his next move in the fight to get his American Jobs Act passed by stepping in Speaker Boehner's (R-OH) back yard on Wednesday. And it seems the crowd has picked up on the President's message. In a speech that targeted schools and infrastructure, the President paused several times to crowd chants of "Pass this bill."



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"No games. No politics. No delays." President Obama presents jobs bill, demands passage

Washington D.C. - Holding the actual bill in his hands, President Obama stood in front of a cross-section of Americans he says will benefit from the American Jobs Act he will submit to Congress. Continuing his challenge for Congressional action, the President restated a popular phrase from the weekend, "Pass this bill."

The President's message to Congress? Easy. "No games. No politics. No delays." Positioning himself as being on the side of the American people, President Obama repeated an approach used in last Thursday's address to a joint session of Congress by presenting the bill as a matter of priorities.

"The bottom line is, when it comes to strengthening the economy and balancing our books, we've got to decide what our priorities are. Do we keep tax loopholes for oil companies -- or do we put teachers back to work? Do we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires -- or should we invest in education and technology and infrastructure, all the things that are going to help us out-innovate and out-educate and out-build other countries in the future?"

Taking the political realities of Washington gridlock into consideration, the President warned of the desire of some to let politics trump policy.

"There are some in Washington who'd rather settle our differences through politics and the elections than try to resolve them now. In fact, Joe and I, as we were walking out here, we were looking at one of the Washington newspapers and it was quoting a Republican aide saying, 'I don't know why we'd want to cooperate with Obama right now. It's not good for our politics.'"

The answer, according to the President, is for the people to raise their vocies to be heard. Before leaving, President Obama urged supporters of the bill to call their representatives to help get it passed.

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President says partisanship stands in the way of action

Repeating his message from the past several weeks, President Obama focused his weekly address on the need for Washington to get beyond partisan politics to "put country ahead of party." President Obama restated his policy goals of cutting the payroll tax, engaging international trade, investing in infrastructure, and creating initiatives for companies to hire US veterans returning from overseas. As for accomplishing these goals, the President maintained his position that Washington politics is the only threat to such action.



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