Speech Reax from the Right

Boehner strikes bipartisan tone: plan "merits consideration."

Moments after speech, Cantor takes to Twitter and tells reporters he'd pass some of Obama's job proposals immediately. Sees common ground in eliminating regulations and "repairing infrastructure.

Ahead of the address, McConnell branded it "a reelection plan" and warned Americans "can't afford to make the same mistake twice."

House Policy Committee Chair Tom Price says WH still favors "rhetoric over results."

RNC instantly dismisses the POTUS pitch.

Statement by Speaker Boehner on President Obama’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress

“American families and small businesses are hurting, and they are looking for the White House and Congress to seek common ground and work together to help get our economy back on track. Republicans have laid out a blueprint for economic growth and job creation – our Plan for America’s Job Creators – that focuses on one thing: removing government barriers to private-sector job growth.

“The proposals the President outlined tonight merit consideration. We hope he gives serious consideration to our ideas as well. It’s my hope that we can work together to end the uncertainty facing families and small businesses, and create a better environment for long-term economic growth and private-sector job creation.”

Cantor: Job Creation -- A Priority Both Sides Can Agree On
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Eric Cantor
September 09, 2011

"Last night, President Obama spoke to the nation about the jobs crisis facing America. Today, we will both be in Richmond speaking about job creation — no doubt a priority we would both agree is the most important issue facing the commonwealth and our country as a whole.

While I appreciate the president's renewed focus on jobs, the fact is that we have different opinions on the best way to actually produce them. For example, during the first days of his administration, I tried to work with President Obama on a bipartisan approach to economic growth. At that time, we argued that a large, deficit-financed, government stimulus bill was not the best way to improve our economic situation or create sustainable job growth. Given the net loss of 1.7 million jobs from the economy and the stimulus's failure to keep unemployment under 8 percent, as the administration claimed it would, we disagree with some who want to repeat the same mistakes. There is a better way.

Since January, I have been squarely focused on jobs and economic growth. My colleagues and I have put forth a comprehensive jobs plan and have passed more than a dozen pro-growth measures designed to create jobs. Unfortunately, only one of these jobs measures has been considered by the Democrat-controlled Senate.

This fall, the House will help small-business people and job creators by voting to repeal some of the excessive federal regulations that are preventing them from hiring workers. Without question, some regulations are necessary for safety and to protect our citizens' rights. But there are also regulations that unnecessarily increase costs across the board, particularly for millions of small-business people who are the primary job creators in America. The Obama administration currently is considering hundreds of new regulatory actions that are each estimated to cost our economy $100 million or more.

It was a welcome sign that last week, the president acknowledged the harm these regulations can cause and agreed to our request for the EPA to withdraw its new draft ozone regulations, which could have cost $90 billion. I hope this is the first of many steps that we can take together to reduce excessive regulation that is hampering job growth.

Another area for agreement could be common-sense initiatives to repair and improve our infrastructure. Currently, states such as Virginia are required to set aside 10 percent of their surface-transportation funds. These funds are required to be used on projects like transportation museums, educational programs for pedestrians and the operation of historic transportation facilities. While some of these may be worthy projects, the federal government often cannot distinguish the most pressing needs for an individual state. These are dollars that we could use on projects of greater importance without adding to our deficit. This would prioritize the way transportation money is invested, giving governors more flexibility and control over the types of projects that best suit their citizens.

Last night, the president also spoke extensively about extending the payroll tax. To be clear, in the current economic climate, no American should face a tax increase. Eight months ago, I supported a compromise that included payroll tax relief to ensure that tax rates remained the same for everyone. That said, the president should also look at some of our proposals that are more likely to spur the economic growth needed for jobs. Specifically, allowing small-business people to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income would immediately free up funds for them to reinvest and grow their businesses and retain and hire new employees.

We must focus on the long-term unemployed, especially in some minority communities where more than one in four African-Americans are unemployed. Nearly two years ago, I suggested to the president that we should reform our unemployment system to immediately help those who have been out of work for too long. A program that has already produced results on the state level called "Georgia Works" could serve as a blueprint for unemployment insurance reform on the national level. This program connects employers and job seekers in a way that leads to permanent employment.

Finally, manufacturers need our help. The more that they are able to export, the more they produce. The more that those manufacturers produce, the more workers they need. This means job creation. We can immediately expand markets for Virginia small businesses and manufacturers by passing three pending trade agreements, with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, which would — according to the Obama administration — support the creation of 250,000 jobs.

Today, both the president and I will be in Richmond to talk about our top priority — creating jobs. There will be some areas where we agree, and some where we don't. Good people can disagree. But Virginians, like most Americans, expect us to act responsibly and work together so that the economy can grow and people can get back to work. In a divided government, we shouldn't allow our differences to prevent us from making progress on areas where we can agree. Focusing on areas of common ground will provide real results for the tens of millions of Americans currently out of work or struggling paycheck to paycheck. I stand ready to work with the president to get the economy back on track. I hope the president shows a willingness to do the same."

McConnell on the President’s Speech: ‘We Can’t Afford to Make the Same Mistake Twice’

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­the President’s speech and the Senate’s vote tonight on whether to grant him an additional $500 billion in borrowing authority:

“Later on today, both Houses of Congress will welcome President Obama to the Capitol to speak about a very serious crisis that we face as a nation. Namely, an economic climate that is making it impossible for millions of Americans to find the work that they need to support themselves and their families.

“Now, in a two-party system like ours, it shouldn’t be surprising that there would be two very different points of view about how to solve this particular crisis. What is surprising is the President’s apparent determination to apply the same government-driven policies that have already been tried and failed. The definition of insanity, as Albert Einstein once famously put it, is to do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. Frankly, I can’t think of a better description of anyone who thinks the solution to this problem is another Stimulus. The first Stimulus didn’t do it. Why would another one?

“This is one question that the White House and a number of Democrats clearly don’t want to answer. That’s why some of them are out there coaching people not to use the word Stimulus when describing the President’s plan. Others are accusing anybody who criticizes it of being unpatriotic or playing politics. Well, as I’ve said, there’s a much simpler reason to oppose the President’s economic policies that has nothing whatsoever to do with politics: they don’t work. Yet, by all accounts, the President’s so-called jobs plan is to try those very same policies again, and then accuse anyone who doesn’t support them this time around of being political or overly partisan, of not doing what’s needed in this moment of crisis.

“This isn’t a jobs plan. It’s a re-election plan. That’s why Republicans will continue to press for policies that empower job creators, not Washington.

“According to The Wall Street Journal, nearly a third of the unemployed have been out of work for more than a year. The average length of unemployment is now greater than 40 weeks, higher than it was even during the Great Depression. As we know, the longer you’re out of a job the harder it is to find one. That means for millions of Americans, this crisis is getting harder every day. It’s getting worse and worse.

“And we also know this: the economic policies this President has tried have not alleviated the problem.

“In many ways, in fact, they’ve made things worse. Gas prices are up. The national debt is up. Health insurance premiums are up. Homes values in most places continue to fall. And two and a half years after the President’s signature jobs bill was signed into law, 1.7 million fewer Americans have jobs.

“So, I’d say that Americans have 1.7 million reasons to oppose another Stimulus. And that’s why many of us have been calling on the President to propose something different tonight. Not because of politics. But because the kind of policies he’s proposed have failed. The problem here isn’t politics. The problem is policy.

“It’s time the President start thinking less about how to describe his policies differently and more time thinking about devising new policies. And he might start by working with Congress, instead of writing in secret, without any consultation with Republicans, a plan that the White House is calling bipartisan.

“With 14 million Americans out of work, job creation should be a no-politics zone. And Republicans stand ready to act on policies that get the private sector moving again.

"What we won’t do, however, is allow the President to put us deeper in debt to finance a collection of short-term fixes or shots-in-the-arm that might move the needle today but which deny America’s job creators the things they really need to solve this crisis: predictability, stability, fewer government burdens and less red tape. Because while this crisis may have persisted for far too long and caused far too much hardship, one thing we do have right now is the benefit of hindsight. We know what doesn’t work.

“So tonight, the President should take a different approach. He should acknowledge the failures of an economic agenda that centers on government spending and debt, and work across the aisle on a plan that puts people and businesses at the forefront of job creation.

“If the American people are going to have control over their own destiny, they need to have more control of their economy. That means shifting the center of gravity away from Washington and toward those who really create jobs. It means putting an end to the regulatory overreach that’s holding job creators back.

“It means being as bold about liberating job creators as the administration’s been about shackling them.

“It means reforming an outdated tax code and getting out of the business of picking winners and losers.

“It means lowering the U.S. corporate tax rate, which is currently the second-highest in the world.

“And it means leveling the playing field with our competitors overseas by approving free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea that have been languishing on the President’s desk for years

“Contrary to the President’s claims, this economic approach isn’t aimed at pleasing any one party or constituency. It’s aimed at giving back to the American people the tools they need to do the work that Washington has not been able to do on its own, despite its best efforts over the past few years.

“The President is free to blame his political adversaries, his predecessor, or even natural disasters for America’s economic challenges. Tonight, he may blame any future such challenges on those who choose not to rubber-stamp his latest proposals. But it should be noted that this is precisely what Democratic majorities did during the President’s first two years in office. And look where that got us.

“But here’s the bottom line: By the President’s own standards his jobs agenda has been a failure. And we can’t afford to make the same mistake twice.

“Now after the President's speech tonight calling for more stimulus spending, the Senate will vote on his request for an additional $500 billion increase in the debt ceiling. So Senators will have an opportunity to vote for or against this type of approach right away.”

Price Statement on President Obama’s Address to a Joint Session of Congress

“Tonight’s speech makes it clear that the White House continues to favor rhetoric over results when it comes to addressing the nation’s many challenges,” said Chairman Price. “This explains why the latest ideas coming out of the Obama Administration are essentially identical to the policies Democrats have experimented with for over two years while millions of Americans lost their jobs. President Obama says he understands there is a jobs crisis in America but he believes it is because Washington is not doing enough spending, taxing, and regulating. This reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the role of government and a complete misreading of the facts on the ground which clearly demonstrate that Washington is what is holding this economy back.

“Without a doubt, there are actions Congress and the White House can and must take to help create a more positive environment for job creation. For months, House Republicans have drafted, debated, and passed plans to scale back job-destroying regulations, expand the production of American-made energy, and to reduce the burden of our nation’s skyrocketing debt. Additionally, we agree that we need to embark on initiatives like building a stronger, safer infrastructure in this country or simplifying the nation’s tax code to make America and American entrepreneurs competitive in the global economy. But all those efforts must be done in a way that complements economic growth and the needs of America’s job creators, and they should be done within a budget, not with borrowed dollars or higher taxes.

“President Obama has proven that he is most comfortable leading from behind a teleprompter. In the coming months, I call on the President to look beyond his carefully crafted rhetoric and seriously consider the positive solutions offered to him from House Republicans. If he is tired of gridlock in Washington, he ought to send the three free trade agreements sitting on his desk to Congress so we can consider them. He ought to ask his Democrat allies in the Senate why they have not passed a budget in well over 800 days and why they have failed to take up the many job-creating proposals already passed by the House. We must offer relief to the millions of struggling Americans by getting Washington out of the way of those who can rebuild this nation’s economy and put our neighbors back to work.”

RNC: What's Old Is New Again
President Obama's Latest Rehash Of Failed Proposals Proves That He Is Devoid Of Solutions And Unfit To Lead
OBAMA IS RECYCLING THE SAME TIRED RHETORIC AND THE SAME FAILED POLICIES
Tax Breaks For Hiring Workers

TONIGHT: "Pass This Jobs Bill, And Companies Will Get A $4,000 Tax Credit If They Hire Anyone Who Has Spent More Than Six Months Looking For A Job." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

March 18, 2010: President Barack Obama: "In A Few Moments, I'll Sign What's Called The HIRE Act - A Jobs Bill That Will Encourage Businesses To Hire And Help Put Americans Back To Work." (President Barack Obama, Remarks Before Signing The HIRE Act, Washington, DC, 3/18/10)

* The HIRE Act Forgave Payroll Taxes For Business That Hired The Long-Term Unemployed. "First, we will forgive payroll taxes for businesses that hire someone who's been out of work at least two months." (President Barack Obama, Remarks Before Signing The HIRE Act, Washington, DC, 3/18/10)

Putting Construction Workers Back To Work
TONIGHT: "It Will Create More Jobs For Construction Workers ." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

September 6, 2010: President Obama Said With Nearly One-In-Five Construction Workers Unemployed That His Second Stimulus Would Put Them To Work Because "There's So Much Of America That Needs Rebuilding." "But, you know, the folks here in the trades know what I'm talking about. Nearly one in five construction workers are unemployed-one in five. Nobody's been hit harder than construction workers. And a lot of those folks, they had lost their jobs in manufacturing and went into construction; now they've lost their jobs again. It doesn't do anybody any good when so many hard-working Americans have been idled for months, even years, at a time when there's so much of America that needs rebuilding. So that's why, Milwaukee, today I am announcing a new plan for rebuilding and modernizing America's roads and rails and runways for the long term. I want America to have the best infrastructure in the world. We used to have the best infrastructure in the world; we can have it again. We are going to make it happen." (President Barack Obama, Remarks At LaborFest, Milwaukee, WI, 9/6/10)

Shovel-Ready Projects
TONIGHT: President Obama: "We're Cutting The Red Tape That Prevents Some Of These Projects From Getting Started As Quickly As Possible." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

December 15, 2008: President-Elect Obama Was Confident That Shovel-Ready Infrastructure Projects Would Lead The Recovery And Create Jobs Immediately. "Now, here's what I'm confident about, that our economic recovery plan, our 21st-century investments will create jobs immediately that would not otherwise be created. We've got shovel-ready projects all across the country that governors and mayors are pleading to fund. And the minute we can get those investments to the state level, jobs are going to be created." (President-Elect Obama, "Remarks in Chicago Announcing Energy and Environment Team," 12/15/08)

Infrastructure Bank
TONIGHT: President Obama: "And We'll Set Up An Independent Fund To Attract Private Dollars And Issue Loans Based On Two Criteria: How Badly A Construction Project Is Needed And How Much Good It Would Do For The Economy." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

September 6, 2010: President Obama: "We Want To Set Up An Infrastructure Bank To Leverage Federal Dollars And Focus On The Smartest Investments." (President Barack Obama, Remarks At LaborFest, Milwaukee, WI, 9/6/10)

Saving Teacher Jobs
TONIGHT: President Obama: "Pass This Jobs Bill, And Thousands Of Teachers In Every State Will Go Back To Work." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

August 8, 2010: President Obama Said That His State Bailout Would "Save The Jobs Of Teachers Like The Ones Who Are Standing With Me Today." "And that's why today we're trying to pass a law that will save hundreds of thousands of additional jobs in the coming year. It will help states avoid laying off police officers, firefighters, nurses and first responders. And it will save the jobs of teachers like the ones who are standing with me today. If we do nothing, these educators won't be returning to the classroom this fall." (President Barack Obama, Remarks On Teacher Jobs, Washington, DC, 8/10/10)

Depreciation Of Business Investments
TONIGHT: President Obama: "And All Businesses Will Be Able To Continue Writing Off The Investments They Make In 2012." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

March 18, 2010: President Obama Said The HIRE Act Would Permit Businesses To "Write Off Investments They Make In Equipment This Year." "The second thing this bill does is to encourage small businesses to grow and to hire by permitting them to write off investments they make in equipment this year. These kinds of expenses typically take years to depreciate, but under this law, businesses will be able to invest up to $250,000, let's say, in a piece of factory equipment, and write it off right away." (President Barack Obama, Remarks Before Signing The HIRE Act, Washington, DC, 3/18/10)

Eliminating Wasteful Projects
TONIGHT: President Obama: "And To Make Sure The Money Is Properly Spent And For Good Purposes, We're Building On Reforms We've Already Put In Place. No More Earmarks. No More Boondoggles." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

February 24, 2009: President Obama Put Vice President Joe Biden In Charge Of Policing Waste In The Stimulus "Because Nobody Messes With Joe." "Here in Washington, we've all seen how quickly good intentions can turn into broken promises and wasteful spending. And with a plan of this scale comes enormous responsibility to get it right. And that's why I've asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort; because nobody messes with Joe. I--am I right?" (President Barack Obama, Address Before A Joint Session Of The Congress, Washington, D.C., 2/24/09)

It Has Received Bipartisan Support
TONIGHT: President Obama Says His Jobs Plan "Is The Kind Of Proposal That's Been Supported By Both Democrats And Republicans." "There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation. Everything in here is the kind of proposal that's been supported by both Democrats and Republicans - including many who sit here tonight." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

September 6, 2010: President Obama: "It's A Plan That History Tells Us Can And Should Attract Bipartisan Support." "But the bottom line is this, Milwaukee: This will not only create jobs immediately, it's also going to make our economy hum over the long haul. It's a plan that history tells us can and should attract bipartisan support." (President Barack Obama, Remarks At LaborFest, Milwaukee, WI, 9/6/10)

Everything Will Be Paid For
TONIGHT: President Obama: "And Everything In This Bill Will Be Paid For. Everything." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

September 6, 2010: President Obama: "This Is A Plan That Will Be Fully Paid For. It Will Not Add To The Deficit Over Time; We're Going To Work With Congress To See To That." (President Barack Obama, Remarks At LaborFest, Milwaukee, WI, 9/6/10)

Americans Work Hard To Meet Their Responsibilities
TONIGHT: President Obama: "The People Of This Country Work Hard To Meet Their Responsibilities." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On The American Jobs Act, Washington, D.C., 9/8/11)

February 13, 2010: President Obama: "All Across America, People Work Hard To Meet Their Responsibilities." (President Obama, Weekly Address: President Obama Praises Restoration Of Pay-As-You-Go, Washington, DC, 2/13/10)

A Product Of The RNC Research Department
September 8, 2011