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The President:
This week, a new economic report
confirmed what most Americans
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already believe to be true:
over the past three decades,
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the middle class has lost ground
while the wealthiest few have
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become even wealthier.
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In fact, the average income for
the top 1% of Americans has
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risen almost seven times faster
than the income of the average
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middle class family.
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And this has happened during
a period where the cost of
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everything from health care
to college has skyrocketed.
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Now, in this country, we don't
begrudge anyone wealth or
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success -- we encourage it.
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We celebrate it.
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But America is better off when
everyone had the chance to get
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ahead -- not just those at the
very top of the income scale.
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The more Americans who prosper,
the more America prospers.
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Rebuilding an economy where
everyone has the chance to
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succeed will take time.
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Our economic problems were
decades in the making,
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and they won't be
solved overnight.
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But there are steps we can take
right now to put people back to
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work and restore some of the
security that middle-class
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Americans have lost over
the last few decades.
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Right now, Congress can pass
a set of common-sense jobs
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proposals that independent
economists tell us will boost
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the economy right away.
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Proposals that will put
more teachers, veterans,
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construction workers and first
responders back on the job.
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Proposals that will cut taxes
for virtually every middle class
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family and small
business in America.
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These are the same kinds of
proposals that both Democrats
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and Republicans have
supported in the past.
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And they should stop playing
politics and act on them now.
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These jobs proposals are also
paid for by asking folks who are
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making more than a million
dollars a year to contribute a
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little more in taxes.
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These are the same folks who
have seen their incomes go up so
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much, and I believe this
is a contribution they're
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willing to make.
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One survey found that nearly 7
in 10 millionaires are willing
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to step up and pay a little more
in order to help the economy.
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Unfortunately, Republicans
in Congress aren't
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paying attention.
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They haven't gotten the message.
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Over and over, they have refused
to even debate the same kinds of
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jobs proposals that Republicans
have supported in the past --
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proposals that
today are supported,
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not just by Democrats, but
by Independent and Republican
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voters all across America.
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Somehow, though, they found time
this week to debate things like
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whether or not we should mint
coins to celebrate the Baseball
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Hall of Fame.
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And meanwhile, they're only
scheduled to work three more
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weeks between now and
the end of the year.
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The truth is, we can no longer
wait for Congress to do its job.
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The middle-class families who
have been struggling for years
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are tired of waiting.
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They need help now.
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So where Congress
won't act, I will.
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This week, we announced a new
policy that will help families
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whose home values have fallen to
refinance their mortgages and
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save thousands of dollars.
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We're making it easier for
veterans to get jobs putting
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their skills to work in
hospitals and community
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health centers.
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We reformed the student loan
process so more young people can
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get out of debt faster.
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And we're going to keep
announcing more changes like
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these on a regular basis.
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These steps will
make a difference.
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But they won't take the place
of the bold action we need from
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Congress to get this
economy moving again.
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And that's why I need all of
you to make your voices heard.
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Tell Congress to stop playing
politics and start taking
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action on jobs.
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If we want to rebuild an economy
where every American has the
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chance to get ahead, then we're
going to need every American to
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get involved.
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That's how real change
has always happened,
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and that's how
it'll happen today.
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Thanks.
