Congressman Al Green Applauds President's "bold Vision For The Future" In Address To Joint Session Of Congress
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Congressman Al Green Applauds President's "bold Vision For The Future" In Address To Joint Session Of Congress
Congressman Al Green today applauded President Obama's first-ever address to a joint session of Congress, in which the president laid out an expansive vision for the coming years, including plans for addressing the foreclosure crisis, for ensuring that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is used efficiently and effectively, and for taking aggressive action to deal with the long-term challenges facing the country.
"I am pleased that President Obama used this occasion to lay out a bold vision for the future that described plans for overcoming the numerous and severe challenges facing our country today," said Congressman Green. "At this difficult time, it is imperative that those in leadership positions demonstrate toughness and a willingness to take on the problems confronting us, and I believe that the president did that today."
In his address to the joint session, President Obama outlined plans for implementation of the recently-enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. According to a recent analysis by the Council of Economic Advisors, this bill will save or create at least 3.5 million jobs over the next two years. Texas in particular will benefit greatly from the bill, which will create or save 269,000 jobs in the state, including 8,000 jobs in the 9th Congressional District alone. Additionally, over eight million Texas workers will benefit from a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit, while the Houston Independent School District will receive over $100 million in new funding.
According to Congressman Green, "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a major step forward in the effort to get our economy back on track and to help the millions of people on Main Street who have suffered the negative impacts of this recession. I was pleased to hear the president discuss his plans to make sure that this bill is used in a timely fashion to get millions of people back to work."
Congressman Green also praised President Obama's assessment for the need for action to reinvigorate the housing market. President Obama proposed a Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan last week that would help four to five million responsible homeowners refinance to make their mortgages more affordable, implement clear guidance for servicers to provide loan modifications, and increase funding for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to strengthen confidence and help lower mortgage rates.
"In tonight's address, President Obama made a cogent case for the need for quick and decisive action to right the housing market. The foreclosure crisis precipitated the broader credit crisis that we are now encountering. I believe that helping homeowners is a critical piece in getting our economy back on track. We in Congress stand ready to work with the president to do what is necessary to help homeowners and get the housing market moving again," said Congressman Green.
Finally, Congressman Green praised President Obama's dedication to overcoming the long-term challenges facing the country, including skyrocketing health care costs, the large federal budget deficit, the need for energy independence, and the need to improve our education system to meet the needs of a 21st century workforce.
"Even as we confront many pressing challenges, we cannot afford to push these long-term issues off further into the future. I am heartened that President Obama demonstrated the foresight to keep these issues high on the priority list. We must fix our health care system, create a clean energy economy for the future that makes us energy independent, strengthen our education system, and make sure that the federal government spends funds wiselyfor our children, for our grandchildren, and for the future of this great nation," said Congressman Green.
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