Weekly Address:Creating New Pathways of Opportunity for Americans Like You

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Source: White House

In this week's address, the President spoke to his priority of growing the economy and opening new avenues of opportunity for hardworking Americans. While the United States has already made economic progress, with more than 12 million new private sector jobs created over the past five years, there’s still more to be done. That’s why the President has continued to press for strong, high-standard trade agreements that are good for American workers and good for American businesses. And it’s why his Administration has partnered with mayors and governors across the country on issues such as minimum wage and paid leave that impact hardworking Americans. The President discussed impactful initiatives like these in his address before the Conference of Mayors on Friday.

Read more: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/20/weekly-address-creating-new-pathways-opportunity-americans-you

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As President, I spend most of my time focused on what we can do to grow the economy and grow new pathways of opportunity for Americans like you to get ahead.

And we’ve made progress. More than 12 million new private sector jobs in the past five years. More than 16 million Americans who’ve gained health insurance. More jobs creating more clean energy. More kids graduating from high school and college than ever before.

But in a relentlessly-changing economy, we’ve got more work to do. And one of the things we should be doing, for example, is rewriting the rules of global trade to benefit American workers and American businesses. I think we should write those rules before China does. That’s why I’ve been working with Congress to pass new, 21st century trade agreements with standards that are higher and protections that are tougher than any past trade agreement.

I believe it’s the right thing to do for American workers and families, or I wouldn’t be doing it.

I believe it’s what will give us the competitive edge in a new economy, or I wouldn’t be doing it.

Now, several Members of Congress disagree. That’s why it’s still tied up there, along with a lot of other good ideas that would create jobs. And eventually, I’m optimistic we’ll get this done.

But America doesn’t stand still. That’s why, on issue after issue where Congress has failed to act, my administration has partnered with mayors and governors across the country to advance economic priorities that most working families in America are in favor of right now.

And we’ve had success. Over the past couple years, 17 states and six major cities have raised the minimum wage for their workers. 19 cities have enacted paid sick days, and five states have enacted paid sick days or paid family leave. 34 states have increased funding for quality Pre-K. And 19 cities and states have signed up for our new TechHire initiative to train workers for the high-wage, high-skill jobs of tomorrow – the kind of jobs that new trade deals would help create.

Some of these victories have been small. Some have been quiet. But they’ve added up to a big difference for working families across America. And that’s what matters to me. Because it matters to you. On Friday, I talked about these initiatives and more in a speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Check it out at WhiteHouse.gov. Some of it might matter to your city.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. 'Opportunity' is Republican-speak. If you're talking 'opportunity', you're already throwing people

to the wolves.

'Opportunity' means that you believe there's 'not enough to go around', and that some will win, some will lose. We know this is a lie. We know there's more than enough food harvested each year, yet people go hungry. There are more empty houses and apartments than there are homeless people. There is much that needs done, but people go without work.

Our problems are not enigmas, not matters of people not having 'opportunities'. They are the DIRECT result of the government's choices that fully support the exploitation of labour and the accumulation of capital by the few. They are created by our subservience to the Randian principles of capitalism, the social Darwinism that prioritizes greed over equality.

(ETA: And the TPP is the embodiment of that subservience to capital, in case that inference was too subtle.)

[ananda]

2. Who exactly are "Americans like you"?

It's not the 99%, I guar -- on -- tee !

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Thanks for posting!

They apparently didn't record the feed that I normally listen to on the local news radio Saturday mornings (so it wasn't aired), but did watch the video at the whitehouse.gov site.

I know the Conference of Mayors has been going on in San Francisco and I hope those mayors have a good agenda going because the cities really need it!

[cal04]

6. You're very welcome BumRushDaShow

[PSPS]

4. "Americans Like You" = "Eat your peas"

That "Americans Like You" phrase is quite the Freudian slip.

[840high]

5. Blah-blah-blah. Heard it before.

[Fuddnik]

7. Remember Bush fatigue?

I'm starting to get Obama bullshit fatigue.