This week, I spent some time in Racine, Wisconsin, talking with folks who are doing their best to cope with the aftermath of a brutal recession.
And while I was there, a young woman asked me a question I hear all the time: "What are we doing as a nation to bring jobs back to this country?"
Well, on Friday, we learned that after 22 straight months of job loss, our economy has now created jobs in the private sector for 6 months in a row. That's a positive sign. But the truth is, the recession from which we're emerging has left us in a hole that's about 8 million jobs deep. And as I've said from the day I took office, it's going to take months, even years, to dig our way out -- and it's going to require an all-hands-on-deck effort.
In the short term, we're fighting to speed up this recovery and keep the economy growing by all means possible. That means extending unemployment insurance for workers who lost their job. That means getting small businesses the loans they need to keep their doors open and hire new workers. And that means sending relief to states so they don't have to lay off thousands of teachers and firefighters and police officers.
Still, at a time when millions of Americans feel a deep sense of urgency in their own lives, Republican leaders in Washington just don't get it. While a majority of Senators support taking these steps to help the American people, some are playing the same old Washington games and using their power to hold this relief hostage -- a move that only ends up holding back our recovery. It doesn't make sense.
But I promised those folks in Wisconsin -- and I promise all of you -- that we won't back down. We're going to keep fighting to advance our recovery. And we're going to keep competing aggressively to make sure the jobs and industries of the future are taking root right here in America.
That's one of the reasons why we're accelerating the transition to a clean energy economy and doubling our use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power -- steps that have the potential to create whole new industries and hundreds of thousands of new jobs in America.
In fact, today, I'm announcing that the Department of Energy is awarding nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments to two solar companies.
The first is Abengoa Solar, a company that has agreed to build one of the largest solar plants in the world right here in the United States. After years of watching companies build things and create jobs overseas, it's good news that we've attracted a company to our shores to build a plant and create jobs right here in America. In the short term, construction will create approximately 1,600 jobs in Arizona. What's more, over 70 percent of the components and products used in construction will be manufactured in the USA, boosting jobs and communities in states up and down the supply chain. Once completed, this plant will be the first large-scale solar plant in the U.S. to actually store the energy it generates for later use -- even at night. And it will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power 70,000 homes.
The second company is Abound Solar Manufacturing, which will manufacture advanced solar panels at two new plants, creating more than 2,000 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs. A Colorado plant is already underway, and an Indiana plant will be built in what's now an empty Chrysler factory. When fully operational, these plants will produce millions of state-of-the-art solar panels each year.
These are just two of the many clean energy investments in the Recovery Act. Already, I've seen the payoff from these investments. I've seen once-shuttered factories humming with new workers who are building solar panels and wind turbines; rolling up their sleeves to help America win the race for the clean energy economy.
So that's some of what we're doing. But the truth is, steps like these won't replace all the jobs we've lost overnight. I know folks are struggling. I know this Fourth of July weekend finds many Americans wishing things were a bit easier right now. I do too.
But what this weekend reminds us, more than any other, is that we are a nation that has always risen to the challenges before it. We are a nation that, 234 years ago, declared our independence from one of the greatest empires the world had ever known. We are a nation that mustered a sense of common purpose to overcome Depression and fear itself. We are a nation that embraced a call to greatness and saved the world from tyranny. That is who we are -- a nation that turns times of trial into times of triumph -- and I know America will write our own destiny once more.
I wish every American a safe and happy Fourth of July. And to all our troops serving in harm's way, I want you to know you have the support of a grateful nation and a proud Commander-in-Chief..Copyright Policy:www.whitehouse.gov/copyright
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See what the Germans are doing with clean renewable solar powerby greenenergy336883 views
this turned out to bite him in the ass, fucking moron
FLSweatt 4 months ago
@CasperCee You CAN'T argue politics. You are A STUPID LIBERAL who does't KNOW SHIT. You and all the other brain-dead leftists suffer some mental disease. You make shit up and then actually believe it's true. You ignore facts. You are incapable of using common sense. You make false allegations. You suffer some superiority complex thinking that anybody who doesn't agree with you is stupid. Instead of debating on facts, you call people names, make personal attacks & false accusations.
Pathetic.
CasperCee 7 months ago
@abnercalegari The ignorance from the left is never ending. Who started the war? Who fucked shit up? More spending means less unemployment? IS your head shoved that far up your ass?
CasperCee 7 months ago
@abnercalegari Who allowed 5 terror attacks go unanswered, ignored 2 warnings from Able Danger about planned attacks in Yemen (where the attack on the USS Cole happened) and planned attacks on American cities, who allowed Jamie Gorelick & Eric Holder put up The Wall (of Separation) that allowed the men - with ties to terrorists and who committed the 9-11 attacks to come into America, use our phones, ATMs, our computers and take flying lessons ALL UNNOTICED!!!!!?????
BILL CLINTON DID ALL THAT!!
CasperCee 7 months ago
@abnercalegari Who ignored a declaration of war (jihad) against America made by OSAMA BIN LADEN ON LIVE TV during an interview with ABC's John Miller in 1998? Who pulled our troops out of Somalia after 12 of our troops were killed instead of fighting back, thus further emboldening the enemy????
ALL BILL CLINTON.
CasperCee 7 months ago
@abnercalegari Who attacked who on 9-11? AL-QAEDA AND OSAMA ATTACKED US!!!! Who did Bush first go after? AL -QAEDA AND BIN LADEN in Afghanistan!!! In Afghanistan we wounded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi who after being wounded ran to Iraq for medical aid, a place to hide then after back on his feet led several terror attacks - one killing U.S. Diplomat Lawrence Foley, beheading Nicholas & one other American, started a training camp in North Iraq and started AQI (al-Qaeda in Iraq).
CasperCee 7 months ago
@abnercalegari How are those countries like Greece, Algeria, Tunisia, Ecuador, Yemen, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Czech Republic, Serbia, and a total of 32 countries who do more spending and depend on the government? Yeah. THEY ARE BANKRUPT AND RIOTING AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT!!!!
Your utter ignorance, stupidity and inability to see the truth is amazing.
CasperCee 7 months ago
@abnercalegari BUSH had the war in Iraq and Afghanistan approved BY BOTH CONGRESS AND THE SENATE in 2002!!!!! But that didn't matter. Hussein ignored 17 UN Resolutions, including Resolution 1441. Furthermore, Bush INFORMED Congress before going in and they voted for it - MAKING IT A LEGAL WAR!!! Obama completely bypassed Congress and sent our military to war in Libya!
CasperCee 7 months ago
@CasperCee I'm not going to argue politics with a douchebag like you. just look at the facts, and stop reading blogs by republicans. go look at the truth, go see real economic facts, not that shit you watch on FOX
abnercalegari 7 months ago
@CasperCee
you republicans forget things quickly. how about the mulitbillion dollar war he got us in? which congress/senate never approved. how does unemployment raise up if spending is up as well. if you knew economics then you would know that more spending = more money flowing. this means that there will be less unemployment. and also, if you don't remember, bush 1 fucked shit up, clinton fixed, bush 2 fucked shit up even worse.
abnercalegari 7 months ago