What is Obama doing? » congress

Day 59: Obama Defends Budget Proposal

Niklas — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 11:57:10 +0000

The White House has begun a full frontal assault to get President Obama’s first budget through Congress. During an appearance on Tuesday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Mr. Obama took a swipe at Republican critics of his $3.6 trillion budget and its agenda for health care, energy, taxes and economic recovery.

“If there are members of Congress who object to specific policies and proposals in this budget, then I ask them to be ready and willing to propose constructive, alternative solutions,” Mr. Obama said. “ ‘Just say no’ is the right advice to give your teenagers about drugs. It is not an acceptable response to whatever economic policy is proposed by the other party.”

Story on NYTimes

Obama’s address to congress

Paul -V- — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:55:53 +0000

Here’s the video of the entire Presidential address given February 24, 1009. Many hope this will be the first of at least eight.

ON EDIT (March 3, 2009 @ 09:45 EST): The old video player started automatically and crashed Safari browsers, so I replaced it with better-behaved YouTube code.

Day 24: Stimulus bill passed, Obama celebrates

Niklas — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:13:19 +0000

Savoring his first big victory in Congress, President Barack Obama on Saturday celebrated the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus bill as a

“major milestone on our road to recovery.”

Speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama said,

“I will sign this legislation into law shortly, and we’ll begin making the immediate investments necessary to put people back to work doing the work America needs done.”

Story on Google News
Story on MSNBC

Day 20: Economic Recovery Bill moves forward

Niklas — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:37:23 +0000

Obama in his first prime-time news conference

President Barack Obama pressed Congress Monday night to urgently approve a massive economic recovery bill, using the first prime-time news conference of his presidency to warn that a failure to act;

“could turn a crisis into a catastrophe.”

He took his case for an $800 billion economic recovery package to one of the most distressed places in America on Monday as he opened a series of campaign-style events intended to press Congress to approve the plan by week’s end.

Story on MSNBC
Story on NYTimes

Day 3: Congress gets busy

Niklas — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:38:31 +0000

The House Ways and Means Committee has approved $275 billion in tax cuts
The House Energy and Commerce Committee late Thursday approved a $2.8 billion program that would expand broadband service into underserved areas.
It also approved various programs costing an estimated $27 billion to promote energy efficiency.
On a key vote Democrats preserved a tax break for this year and 2010 that would mean $500 for many workers and $1,000 for millions of couples, including those whose earnings are so low that they pay no federal income tax. They also voted down a Republican effort to eliminate a health insurance subsidy for laid-off workers.

We need to be dealing with people at the bottom of the income scale,” said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash. He also noted that the legislation would provide a $25-per-week increase in unemployment benefits.

Report on MSNBC