PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF DISAPPROVAL REGARDING SENATE AND HOUSE PROPOSAL ON LABOR

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENT
March 31, 2015
Remarks by the President Before Signing Memorandum of Disapproval Regarding S.J. Res.8
Oval Office
12:08 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Well, I am about to sign a memorandum of disapproval.  A while back, the National Labor Relations Board, the NLRB, put forward some common-sense, modest changes to streamline the voting process for folks who wanted to join a union.  And unfortunately, the Republican Senate and House decided to put forward a proposal to reverse those changes.  I think that’s a bad idea.

Unions historically have been at the forefront of establishing things like the 40-hour work week, the weekend, elimination of child labor laws, establishing fair benefits and decent wages.  And one of the freedoms of folks here in the United States is, is that if they choose to join a union, they should be able to do so.  And we shouldn’t be making it impossible for that to happen.

So not only am I going to be signing this memorandum of disapproval; I also want to announce that in the fall we’re going to host a summit on increasing the voice and the rights of workers here in the United States.  We’ve had a terrific economic recovery.  We’re got more work to do.  We’re finally seeing wages being to tick up after many consecutive years of job growth.  Nevertheless, what’s true is, is that we’ve got record corporate profits.  Folks at the very top are doing very well.  Middle-class families and folks trying to work their way into the middle class still have some big difficulties.

And part of what we want to do is to make sure that we give workers the capacity to have their voices heard, to have some influence in the workplace, to make sure that they’re partners in building up the U.S. economy, and that growth is broad-based, and that everybody is benefitting just as everybody is contributing.  So that’s something that I’m very much looking forward to.  We’ll have a wide range of voices from the business community, from small businesses, from the workers in a wide range of fields -- academics, organizers.  Because I think that everybody here in America wants to make sure that even as the economy is growing, everybody is playing a part in that growth and everybody is sharing and contributing to that success.

So with that, let me sign this memorandum of disapproval.  Thank you very much, everybody.

END
12:11 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WEEKLY ADDRESS FOR JUNE 28, 2014

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Weekly Address: Focusing on the Economic Priorities for the Middle Class Nationwide

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President discussed his recent trip to Minneapolis where he met a working mother named Rebekah, who wrote the President to share the challenges her family and many middle class Americans are facing where they work hard and sacrifice yet still can’t seem to get ahead. But instead of focusing on growing the middle class and expanding opportunity for all, Republicans in Congress continue to block commonsense economic proposals such as raising the minimum wage, extending unemployment insurance and making college more affordable.  The President will keep fighting his economic priorities in the weeks and months ahead, because he knows the best way to expand opportunity for all hardworking Americans and continue to strengthen the economy is to grow it from the middle-out.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
June 28, 2014

Hi, everybody.  This week, I spent a couple days in Minneapolis, talking with people about their lives – their concerns, their successes, and their hopes for the future.

I went because of a letter I received from a working mother named Rebekah, who shared with me the hardships her young family has faced since the financial crisis.  She and her husband Ben were just newlyweds expecting their first child, Jack, when the housing crash dried up his contracting business.  He took what jobs he could, and Rebekah took out student loans and retrained for a new career.  They sacrificed – for their kids, and for each other.  And five years later, they’ve paid off debt, bought their first home, and had their second son, Henry.

In her letter to me, she wrote, “We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.”  And in many ways, that’s America’s story these past five years.  We are a strong, tight-knit family that’s made it through some very tough times. 

Today, over the past 51 months, our businesses have created 9.4 million new jobs.  By measure after measure, our economy is doing better than it was five years ago.

But as Rebekah also wrote in her letter, there are still too many middle-class families like hers who do everything right – who work hard and who sacrifice – but can’t seem to get ahead.  It feels like the odds are stacked against them.  And with just a small change in our priorities, we could fix that.

The problem is, Republicans in Congress keep blocking or voting down almost every serious idea to strengthen the middle class.  This year alone, they’ve said no to raising the minimum wage, no to fair pay, no to student loan reform, no to extending unemployment insurance.  And rather than invest in education that helps working families get ahead, they actually voted to give another massive tax cut to the wealthiest Americans.

This obstruction keeps the system rigged for those at the top, and rigged against the middle class.  And as long as they insist on doing it, I’ll keep taking actions on my own – like the actions I’ve taken already to attract new jobs, lift workers’ wages, and help students pay off their loans.  I’ll do my job.  And if it makes Republicans in Congress mad that I’m trying to help people out, they can join me, and we’ll do it together.

The point is, we could do so much more as a country – as a strong, tight-knit family – if Republicans in Congress were less interested in stacking the deck for those at the top, and more interested in growing the economy for everybody.  

So rather than more tax breaks for millionaires, let’s give more tax breaks to help working families pay for child care or college.  Rather than protect tax loopholes that let big corporations set up tax shelters overseas, let’s put people to work rebuilding roads and bridges right here in America.  Rather than stack the decks in favor of those who’ve already succeeded, let’s realize that we are stronger as a nation when we offer a fair shot to every American.

I’m going to spend some time talking about these very choices in the week ahead.  That’s because we know from our history that our economy doesn’t grow from the top-down, it grows from the middle-out.  We do better when the middle class does better.  That’s the American way.  That’s what I believe in.  And that’s what I’ll keep fighting for. 

Have a great Fourth of July, everybody – and good luck to Team USA down in Brazil.

Thanks.

PRESIDENT OBAMA MAKES REMARKS AT DNC RECEPTION IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Remarks by the President at DNC Reception -- San Jose, CA

Fairmont San Jose
San Jose, California

7:50 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Hello, California! 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back!  It is good to be back in San Jose.  (Applause.)  I think one of the times I came here I started singing the Dionne Warwick song -- did I do that?  (Laughter.)  It was pretty good. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Do it again!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  No, I'm not going to do it tonight.  (Laughter.)  Maybe after the midterms.  Maybe I'll sing it to you separately.  (Laughter.) 
 
A couple of people I want to thank -- first of all, our outstanding co-hosts, Sam and Marissa.  Please give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  We've got your own State Assemblywoman, Nora Campos, here.  (Applause.)  Way to go, Nora! There she is.  And we have our outstanding DNC Finance Chair Henry Muñoz here.  (Applause.)  And all of you are here.  (Applause.)  Yay!
 
I am thrilled to see all of you.  Some of you are old friends who have been working with me since I was a U.S. senator and nobody could pronounce my name.  Some of you have been knowing me since I was a state senator.  (Applause.)  Exactly.  See, you’ve got an Illinois guy here.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  North Side.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We've got a Chicago guy.  All right, I can't name all the places you guys are from.  (Laughter.)  A lot of you worked on the campaign and on OFA -- (applause) -- and I couldn't be more grateful for that.  And I want to give you a little update about where we are.
 
We came into office at a time when America was in dire straits, and we have made enormous progress over the last five-something years.  We've created 9.2 million jobs.  (Applause.)  Auto industry has come roaring back.  (Applause.)  We have reduced our oil imports.  We are producing more clean energy than ever before.  We have seen college attendance go up; we've seen high school dropouts go down.  And there are millions of Americans all across the country, including right here in California, who finally have the financial and emotional security of affordable health care.  (Applause.)  That has all happened over the last five and a half years. 
 
But for all that we've done, for the war in Iraq that we've ended and the war in Afghanistan that we're bringing to an honorable close -- (applause) -- for all the work we're doing on climate change and making sure that we bequeath to our children and our grandchildren the kind of planet that allows them to thrive and prosper -- for all those efforts, we know that we've got more work to do.
 
We know that despite economic growth and close to record corporate profits, despite the fact that folks at the very top are doing better than ever, that there are too many families all across the country who are still struggling to get by, who work hard every day but have trouble making ends meet at the end of the month.  We know that people still feel insecure about their future, about the possibilities of retirement.  We know that there are folks who work hard every day and are still in poverty. We know that there are folks who work hard every day, but are still living in the shadows because of a broken immigration system.  (Applause.) 
 
We know that the investments that we need to make sure that every child in America -- not just my kid or your kid, but every child in America -- has an opportunity to get a world-class education -- that those investments have not yet been fully forthcoming.  We know that.  (Applause.)   
 
And that's why November is so important.  The Republicans who run the House of Representatives right now and want to take over the Senate --
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Don't boo --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Vote!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  -- vote!  Work!  (Applause.) 
 
But they have said no to every proposal that we know could make a difference in the lives of hardworking Americans.  They’ve said no to proposals that would rebuild our infrastructure.  They’ve said no to proposals that would increase basic research that drives the innovation that has made this region the envy of the world.  They have said no to equal pay for equal work.  In fact, they’ve denied that there’s even a problem.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Really?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I'm just saying.  (Laughter.) 
 
They said no to increasing the minimum wage.  They’ve said no to helping kids afford college.  They even shut down the government and almost created another global financial catastrophe because they wanted to get their way.
 
Now, to be fair, they did say yes to their own budget, except when you look at the budget, what they’re saying yes to are cuts in Medicaid, cuts in education, cuts in basic research. But what they do preserve are tax breaks for folks who don't need them, that aren’t going to grow the economy. 
 
And, look, Republicans are patriots.  They love their country.  They love their families.  They want America to thrive. But they are operating on a theory that time and again has proven to be wrong. It’s a theory that says you’re on your own.  It’s a theory that says if we just reward folks at the very top, then everybody else is going to do just fine.  It’s a theory that discounts the possibility of common action in order to make sure that opportunity is real for every American, and not just some.  (Applause.)  They have a different theory about how America moves forward.  And so they just keep on offering again and again the same failed theories that have been punishing the middle class and failing America for decades now. 
 
And so, when I think about what’s at stake in this election, it’s not just a matter of a seat here or a seat there.  It’s about competing visions of how America moves forward.  And I believe that America moves forward when we recognize that we’re all in it together.  I believe in an America where we rise together, where the economy is built from the bottom up and the middle out. 
 
I believe in an America where we are investing in innovation and where, although the private sector is driving our growth, it is based on an acknowledgment that when we’ve got skilled people and we’ve got outstanding teachers, and we are honoring our researchers and our universities, that’s the dynamism that has always put us at the forefront.  That’s what’s at stake.  That’s what I believe.
 
And so the question is, what are we going to do about it in this midterm?  The choices couldn’t be clearer.  The choices could not be clearer.  As Democrats, I believe that we should be fighting for equal pay for equal work; they do not.  That’s a choice.  (Applause.)  As a Democrat, I believe that opportunity for all means that if you work full-time, you should not be in poverty.  We should increase the minimum wage.  It’s the right thing to do.  (Applause.) 
 
As a Democrat, I believe in investing in early childhood education.  We know it works.  We want to give every child the best chance possible to succeed.  (Applause.) 
They have a different view.  As a Democrat, I believe that we should make college affordable for every young person who’s got the energy and drive to succeed -- every child, not just some.  (Applause.)  They’ve got a different view.
 
So I know what we stand for.  And sometimes, I’ve got to say, that when you look at reporting of what’s happening in Washington -- and let’s face it, Washington is not working the way it’s supposed to -- then sometimes you’d get the impression that, yeah, both parties are just bickering and arguing and that’s why things don’t work. 
 
Now, I’ve got a confession to make -- the Democratic Party is not perfect.  (Laughter.)  I know that’s crazy to say at a DNC event.  (Laughter.)  But there are times where folks make mistakes.  There are some elected officials who don’t show the courage of their convictions.  There are times where I get frustrated.  And we have to be self-critical and make sure that we’re constantly asking ourselves are we serving the folks who sent us here as well as we should.  But on the big issues, on our core convictions, we’re on the right side of the issues.  (Applause.) 
 
On immigration, we believe in comprehensive immigration reform that gives people a chance and that would improve our economy.  (Applause.)  On climate change, we believe in science
-- (applause) -- and we think it’s important for us to take action, and that if we invest in clean energy, we can create jobs and opportunity here in the United States at the same time as we’re making sure that we’ve got an environment that is what we want for our children and our grandchildren.  We're on the right side of that.  The other side isn't.  That's just the bottom line.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Amen.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  When it comes to education, when it comes to the minimum wage, when it comes to equal pay, when it comes to making investments in infrastructure, when it comes to basic research -- when it comes to the things that would help drive this economy right now, we're on the right side of the issues.  And the reason that we've got gridlock right now is you’ve got another party that has been captured by folks who are on the wrong side of the issue.
 
Now, that's on inevitable.  I come from Illinois -- (laughter) -- and that’s the Land of Lincoln, a great Republican President.  Those of you who care about the environment -- probably our greatest environmental President -- Teddy Roosevelt, Republican.  So it's not inevitable, this does not have to be how it is.  But it is how it is right now.  And if we are serious about solving the problems that matter for future generations, if we are serious about making sure that there are good jobs out there that pay a living wage, if we’re serious about fixing a broken immigration system, if we are serious about investing in our schools, if we are serious about making college affordable, if we are serious about making sure that our veterans are properly cared for -- (applause) -- if we are serious about a clean-energy economy, if we’re serious about innovation, then we’ve got to fix Congress. 
 
And the way we’re going to fix Congress is not just to get cynical and sit back and complain and grouse and say, a plague on both your houses.  The way to fix Congress is to take a look at who stands for the things you care about and who doesn’t, and get the folks who don’t out of the way so we can make progress in America.  And that’s what this midterm election is all about.  (Applause.)
 
I mean, what exactly are the plans of the other side right now?
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Nothing!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  No, that’s not true.  They’ve got one plan. They’ve taken 50 votes to repeal Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, and I guess they’re going to try to take 50 more -- because that’s all they talk about.  And let me tell you something. You’ve got 8 million people who signed up on these exchanges, you’ve got millions more who are benefiting from expanded Medicaid.  (Applause.)  You’ve got 3 million young people who are able to stay on their parents' plan.  Millions of people across the country --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Need it.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  -- are better off.  I meet them every day.  And I can’t explain to you why it is that they are so obsessed with making sure those folks don’t have health insurance.  But we’re on the right side of history on that issue.  (Applause.)  And if that’s all they’ve got -– if that’s all they’ve got, then they shouldn’t be running either chamber.  They shouldn’t be running the House and they sure should not be running the Senate. And they sure shouldn’t be making appointments to the Supreme Court.
 
AUDIENCE:  No!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  And they shouldn’t be blocking mine.  (Applause.)   
 
Now, I know I’m preaching to the choir.  (Laughter.)  But we’re just kind of getting started here on this campaign season and I want to kind of get us warmed up.  You’ve got to get the vocal chords are working.  (Laughter.) 
 
There’s one problem we’ve got.  Our problem is not that the public doesn’t agree with us.  If you look on the issues that we’re fighting for, the majority of the American public is on our side.  The majority believes in raising the minimum wage.  The majority of Americans believe in equal pay for equal work.  The majority of Americans want to see us invest in education and job training and apprenticeships.  The majority of Americans think we should be putting people back to work rebuilding our infrastructure.  A majority of Americans think that it’s the right thing to do to develop a clean-energy economy.  A majority of Americans want immigration reform.  So what’s the problem?
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Not voting.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Say that again.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  They’re not voting!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  They’re not voting.  And in particular, Democrats have a congenital defect when it comes to our politics, and that is we like voting during presidential years and during the midterms we don’t vote.  And so you already have lower voting totals during the midterms, and it’s our folks that stay home.
  
And maybe in normal times that’s okay -- although I don’t think it’s ever okay for us not to vote.  But in this midterm, with the stakes as high as they are, with the progress that needs to be made, with families out there who are desperate to see a Washington that is on their side -- we’re going to have to make sure that we are coming out with the same urgency and the same enthusiasm that we typically show during presidential years.  (Applause.)  That’s what we’re going to need.
 
And that’s where all of you come in.  It’s not enough that you’re going to vote.  You’re going to have to grab your mom, dad, cousins, uncles, co-workers, friends, family, and you are going to have to explain to them the stakes involved in this election. 
 
And that’s what the DNC is about.  The contributions you make today are to ensure that we’ve got the infrastructure, the architecture, so that an army of young people and not-so-young people but young at heart, young in spirit are out there working in precincts and in neighborhoods, delivering a message about what the stakes are in this election and making sure that people know they need to come out and vote.
 
Now, I know that we live in a time where cynicism too often passes off as wisdom.  And this country has been through a lot over these last five years.  But I want to close by just letting you know this:  I travel around the world a lot; I study global trends; I speak to world leaders and prominent businesses who operate in every corner of the Earth.  And I will tell you that the assessment outside of the United States is that we’ve got all the best cards.  We still have the most innovative, dynamic economy in the world.  We still have the best universities in the world.  We still have the most productive workers in the world. 
 
We have this incredible opportunity to develop a clean energy economy -- even as traditional sources of energy, we’ve got more than most advanced countries.  We have this incredible vibrancy that is on display right here in this community -- people from all around the world coming here, hungry, striving, ready to innovate.  There’s no other country that looks like us. It’s a huge gift.  The problem is that we’ll waste that gift if we don’t make the right choices. 
 
So what I want everybody to know is, is that for all the challenges we have and for all the legitimate reasons why people get discouraged, our future is bright if we make the right choices.  Our future is bright if people shake off whatever is holding them back and they go to the polls.  Our future is bright if people understand the stakes involved.  Our future is bright if you and I, we’re all out there working together to make sure that folks know that the decisions we make right now are going to matter to that young man and that young lady, and our kids and our grandkids.  And we don’t have time to wait.
 
So I don’t have patience for cynicism right now.  I think it’s too easy.  I think it’s an excuse.  The future is there for us to seize -- but we’ve got to seize it.  And if we do, then we guarantee you --
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  President Obama!  Freedom for Ethiopia!  Freedom!  Freedom for Ethiopia, sir!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hold on.  I agree with you, although why don’t I talk about it later because I’m just about to finish.  (Laughter.)  You and me, we’ll talk about it.  I’m going to be coming around.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible)--
 
THE PRESIDENT:  There you go.
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible) --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I agree with you.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I want to hear from you.
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I love you back.  You kind of screwed up my ending, but that’s okay.  (Laughter and applause.)  That’s okay. And we’ve got free speech in this country -- (applause) -- which is great, too.
 
So, bottom line is this -- bottom line is this:  This is not the end; this is just the beginning.  I’m going to need every one of you to sign up to make sure that you are going to continue to work with the DNC.  I am going to be, I guarantee you, back in California sometime before November.  (Applause.)  And when I come back, I expect everybody here to report back to me that you have been out there working to make sure that we are having a Democratic Senate and a Democratic House.  (Applause.) 
 
Are you with me?  (Applause.)  Are you fired up?  (Applause.)  You ready to go?  (Applause.)
 
Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  God bless America.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
END
8:12 P.M. PDT

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET ON JOB TRAINING TO BUILD THE MIDDLE CLASS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

FACT SHEET - American Job Training Investments: Skills and Jobs to Build a Stronger Middle Class

American Job Training Investments:
Skills and Jobs to Build a Stronger Middle Class

To create new opportunities for all hard-working Americans to get ahead, the President has asked the Vice President to lead an initiative to help individuals get trained with skills businesses need now and then placed in good, middle class jobs. Training America’s workers with the skills they need for a good job can help middle class families feel more secure in their jobs and help American businesses grow our economy. But too many businesses can’t find skilled workers for jobs they want to fill, while too many people looking for a job may be ready to learn new skills but may not be certain that there’s a job waiting for them on the other end. Community colleges are one of the best ways to train workers with the skills they need for a job, and hands-on apprenticeships are one of the clearest paths to a good, secure middle class job. In fact, 87 percent of apprentices are employed after completing their programs and the average starting wage for apprenticeship graduates is over $50,000. 

Today, as part of this effort, the President and Vice President are announcing new federal investments using existing funds to support job-driven training, like apprenticeships, that will expand partnerships with industry, businesses, unions, community colleges, and training organizations to train workers in the skills they need. Employers, unions, and foundations are joining these efforts with new commitments to support job-driven training. These steps are part of President Obama’s commitment to make 2014 a year of action, acting with Congress when possible but also using his pen and his phone – calling on businesses, philanthropy, non-profits, states, and local communities to act. 

American Job Training Executive Actions

Partnering Local Businesses with Community Colleges to Put Americans Back to Work Through a Nearly $500 Million Job Training Competition. Today, the Department of Labor is releasing the application for partnerships of community colleges, employers and industry to develop training programs that are job-driven – that is – designed to respond to the demands of employers so people get placed in jobs. As part of a nearly $500 million competition, all grantees will be required to identify sectors with open jobs to fill, partner with the public workforce system and employers in that sector to address the skills needed for these open jobs, and create pathways from entry level positions to more advanced positions to ensure room for growth for employees with even the lowest starting skills levels. This program is a part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance and Community College and Career Training (TAA-CCCT) competitive grant program that has, over the last three years, supported community colleges preparing dislocated workers and other adults for jobs available in their regional economies. For the first time, this year’s funding will prioritize three key goals by providing larger grants to applicants who propose to address them:

• Scale In-Demand Job Training Across the Country through National Industry Partnerships. Grants will incentivize partnerships to include national entities - such as industry associations - that commit to help design and implement job training programs based on industry-recognized credentials, and replicate these with other education and training institutions across the country where industry also needs to hire workers with those skills.
• Advance Education & Training to Ensure a Seamless Progression from One Stepping Stone to Another. In order to make it easier for individuals to progress through their careers and build one degree on top of another, this competition prioritizes applicants that are increasing state-wide alignment of the training investments made by employers, educators and the workforce system. For example, communities will work to ensure accelerated degree paths and credentials that incorporate prior learning, provide credit based on demonstrated skills rather than seat time, and other innovative strategies that will pave the way for making college more affordable for adult workers and all kinds of students.
• Improve Statewide Employment and Education Data Integration and Use. In order to better assess the effectiveness of education and job training programs over time and continue to improve job placement rates, these grants encourage applications that commit States to further integrate their employment and education data systems. 

Deadline for applications is July 7th, and grants will be awarded to community colleges in every state.

Expanding Apprenticeships for Good Middle Class Jobs. The Department of Labor is making $100 million in existing H-1B funds available for American Apprenticeship Grants to reward partnerships that help more workers participate in apprenticeships. This competition will help more Americans access this proven path to employment and the middle class: 87 percent of apprentices are employed after completing their programs and the average starting wage for apprenticeship graduates is over $50,000.

The new American Apprenticeship Grants competition – which will be launched in the fall – will focus on partnerships between employers, labor organizations, training providers, community colleges, local and state governments, the workforce system, non-profits and faith-based organizations that:

• Launch apprenticeship models in new, high-growth fields: Many fast-growing occupations and industries with open positions, such as in information technology, high-tech services, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing, have an opportunity to adopt and adapt apprenticeship programs, to meet their skilled workforce needs.
• Align apprenticeships to pathways for further learning and career advancement:Apprenticeships that embed industry-recognized skills certifications or reward workplace learning with college credit provide an affordable educational pathway for those who need to earn while they learn, and apprenticeships linked to pre-apprenticeship programs can help more Americans access this training and get on an early pathway to a good career.
• Scale apprenticeship models that work: Across the country, there are pockets of excellence in apprenticeship, but all too often these successful models are unknown in other regions or to other employers. These grants will build from strength and invest in innovations and strategies to scale apprenticeships – including to market the value of apprenticeships, make them more attractive to women and other Americans who have been underrepresented, increase the return on investment for workers and, or build national and regional partnerships to expand apprenticeships.

Making Apprenticeships Work for More Americans. The Departments of Labor, Education, and Veteran Affairs are reforming their programs to enable the use of education benefits for apprenticeships:

• Streamlining GI Bill benefits for apprentices. Through a new partnership between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor, employers now have a fast-track for their veteran employees to access their GI Bill benefits for registered apprenticeships, helping more than 9,000 veteran apprentices receive the benefits they have earned.
• Connecting apprentices with college credit. The Registered Apprenticeship College Consortium (RACC), a partnership among community colleges, national accreditors, employers, and major apprenticeship sponsors, will make it possible for apprenticeship graduates to earn credits that will transfer to any community college in the consortium they attend. Founding members include large state systems like Ohio and Wisconsin. Since it was launched last week by the Vice President, 33 more colleges and systems have started the process, including the state system of North Carolina, to join the consortium.

Business and Philanthropic Investments in Job-Driven Training 

Business, Union, and Non-Profit Efforts to Expand Apprenticeships: Today, the President and Vice President will recognize efforts by employers, unions, and training institutions to expand apprenticeships, helping more Americans access this proven path to employment and middle class earnings.

• The President’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) is developing scalable apprenticeship models in high need advanced manufacturing. Spearheaded by AMP members Dow, Alcoa, and Siemens, a coalition of employers is partnering with community colleges in Northern California and in Southern Texas on apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing occupations – like welders who can fabricate equipment using high-performance alloys and technicians to maintain the complex equipment found in today’s factories. Led by South Central College in southern Minnesota, a coalition of 24 community colleges and employers is pioneering a statewide apprenticeship model in mechatronics. And Harper College, in suburban Chicago, is establishing an apprenticeship program linked to college credit for veterans in advanced manufacturing specialties, including logistics and supply chain management.  To scale these models and meet the demand for a projected 40,000 employees with advanced skills in machining, welding, and industrial maintenance over the next decade, coalition members will release a “How To” manual documenting concrete steps other employers, community colleges, training organizations and states can follow to replicate the model.
• The United Auto Workers, in partnership with employers such as Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, John Deere and many others, plans to add nearly 2,000 apprentices. The apprentices, who will be added in the next year, represent the largest expansion in the apprenticeship program in more than a decade and an example of employers and workers joining together to strengthen our workforce. Together, the Big Three domestic automakers, John Deere, and suppliers such as American Axle, International Automotive Components, Gerdau Special Steel, and Tower Automotive, among others will employ apprentices with starting annual wages between $40,000 and $60,000, presenting a solid path to the middle class.
• UPS will add 2,000 new apprentices, including drivers and apprentices in new programs like IT, operations, and automotive repair. Over the next five years, UPS is committed to expanding their existing apprenticeship program for drivers and to expand their apprenticeship programs to include apprentices in other growing fields such as information technology, operations, and automotive repair. This expansion builds on UPS’ longstanding commitment to apprenticeships and its historic partnership with the Teamsters.
• The SEIU Healthcare Northwest Training Partnership (Training Partnership), in partnership with its employers ResCare, Addus, Chesterfield, the State of Washington, and others, is expanding its novel apprenticeship program for home care aides to train 3,000 apprentices a year. The Training Partnership’s innovative online pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship program for home care aides in Washington state currently trains 300 apprentices a year for jobs as home care aides. The Training Partnership is pleased to announce that it and its employer and labor partners are expanding the program nationwide with a goal of reaching 3,000 apprentices a year within five years for fast-growing jobs in healthcare and, through new online technologies, scaling its other healthcare training programs to reach more than 10x more workers over five years.
• North America’s Building Trades Unions pledge to add 25,000 new apprentices over the next five years.  In addition to the more than $1 billion the Building Trades Unions invest annually in registered apprenticeship training for their members and employers, over the next five years, through new and emerging industry partnerships, North America’s Building Trades Unions will build on the strengths of their existing programs by adding 25,000 apprentices over the next five years.

Philanthropic and Non-Profit Support to Generate Stronger Community College-Industry Partnerships: Philanthropic and non-profit commitments to provide technical assistance and disseminate best practices for applications for the Job-Driven Training Grants, to support the goal of replicating successful programs across the nation.

• Philanthropic Support for Potential Applicants and Grantees. Six national foundations will join together to assist grantees to succeed. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation, ACT Foundation, Joyce Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation will each make investments to develop strong partnerships among community colleges, employers, and industry associations that lead to the creation and adoption of industry-recognized credentials. The goal of technical assistance will focus on training and supporting awardees and their partners to develop strategies to scale their efforts, improve collection and sharing of data, and share proven practices and early successes to strengthen competency-based training and credentialing. Some of the foundations will also support convenings and other outreach to inform potential applicants about the program.
• Best Practices Website for Community Colleges and Employers to Develop Job-Driven Training Partnerships. Skills for America's Future (SAF) will launch a new website with strategies for community college applicants to develop strong partnerships needed to apply for and implement successful grants. SAF will work to source information from employers and community colleges who have been involved in previous rounds of TAA-CCCT as well as national resource organizations so that the site will stay updated with relevant information going forward.

Continuing to Call on Congress for Further Action

Expanding Apprenticeships and Investing in Community Colleges. Over 4 years, this fund would create competitive grants to partnerships of community colleges, industry and employers, to reform job training curricula and launch new programs to deliver skills for in-demand jobs and careers. This fund will help to spur the development and adoption of common, industry-recognized credentials and skill assessments to allow employers to more easily identify and hire qualified candidates. $2 billion will be set aside for an Apprenticeship Training Fund that would provide grants for comprehensive expansion strategies that can combine small incentives and guidance to employers with a statewide marketing effort to drive apprenticeship adoption as well as innovative regional consortia to create new apprenticeships and increase participation in existing apprenticeship programs. With support for comprehensive state strategies and regional innovations from Congress, we could double the number of U.S. Registered Apprenticeships within five years.

PRESIDENT'S WEEKLY ADDRESS FOR APRIL 5, 2014

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE

Weekly Address: The President’s Budget Ensures Opportunity for All Hard-Working Americans

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President highlighted the important differences between the budget he’s put forward – built on opportunity for all – and the budget House Republicans are advocating for, which stacks the deck against the middle class. While the President is focused on building lasting economic security and ensuring that hard-working Americans have the opportunity to get ahead, Republicans are advancing the same old top-down approach of cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans and slashing important investments in education, infrastructure, and research and development.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online atwww.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 5, 2014.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
April 5, 2014

Hi, everybody. 

Today, our economy is growing and our businesses are consistently generating new jobs.  But decades-long trends still threaten the middle class.  While those at the top are doing better than ever, too many Americans are working harder than ever, but feel like they can’t get ahead.

That’s why the budget I sent Congress earlier this year is built on the idea of opportunity for all.  It will grow the middle class and shrink the deficits we’ve already cut in half since I took office.

It’s an opportunity agenda with four goals. Number one is creating more good jobs that pay good wages. Number two is training more Americans with the skills to fill those jobs. Number three is guaranteeing every child access to a great education.  And number four is making work pay – with wages you can live on, savings you can retire on, and health care that’s there for you when you need it. 

This week, the Republicans in Congress put forward a very different budget.  And it does just the opposite: it shrinks opportunity and makes it harder for Americans who work hard to get ahead. 

The Republican budget begins by handing out massive tax cuts to households making more than $1 million a year.  Then, to keep from blowing a hole in the deficit, they’d have to raise taxes on middle-class families with kids.  Next, their budget forces deep cuts to investments that help our economy create jobs, like education and scientific research. 

Now, they won’t tell you where these cuts will fall.  But compared to my budget, if they cut everything evenly, then within a few years, about 170,000 kids will be cut from early education programs.  About 200,000 new mothers and kids will be cut off from programs to help them get healthy food.  Schools across the country will lose funding that supports 21,000 special education teachers.  And if they want to make smaller cuts to one of these areas, that means larger cuts in others. 

Unsurprisingly, the Republican budget also tries to repeal the Affordable Care Act – even though that would take away health coverage from the more than seven million Americans who’ve done the responsible thing and signed up to buy health insurance.  And for good measure, their budget guts the rules we put in place to protect the middle class from another financial crisis like the one we’ve had to fight so hard to recover from.

Policies that benefit a fortunate few while making it harder for working Americans to succeed are not what we need right now.  Our economy doesn’t grow best from the top-down; it grows best from the middle-out.  That’s what my opportunity agenda does – and it’s what I’ll keep fighting for.  Thanks.  And have a great weekend.

WEEKLY ADDRESS FOR FEBRUARY 8, 2014

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Weekly Address: Expanding Opportunity for the American People

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said he will do everything he can to make a difference for the middle class and those working to get into the middle class, so that we can expand opportunity for all and build an economy that works for the American people.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
As Prepared for Delivery
The White House
February 8, 2014

Hi, everybody.  In my State of the Union Address, I talked about the idea of opportunity for all. 

Opportunity is the idea at the heart of this country – that no matter who you are or how you started out, with hard work and responsibility, you can get ahead.

I ran for President to restore that idea, and I’m even more passionate about it today.  Because while our economy has been growing for four years, and those at the top are doing better than ever, average wages have barely budged.  Too many Americans are working harder than ever just to get by, let alone get ahead – and that’s been true since long before the recession hit.

We’ve got to reverse those trends.  We’ve got to build an economy that works for everyone, not just a fortunate few.  And the opportunity agenda I laid out last week will help us do that. 

It’s an agenda with four parts.  Number one: more new jobs.  Number two: training folks with the skills to fill those jobs.  Number three: guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education.  And number four: making sure that hard work pays off, with wages you can live on, savings you can retire on, and health insurance that’s there when you need it. 

I want to work with Congress on this agenda where I can. But in this year of action, whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, I will.  I’ve got a pen and a phone – a pen to take executive action, and a phone to rally citizens and business leaders who are eager to create new jobs and new opportunities.  And we’ve already begun.

In Wisconsin, I ordered an across-the-board reform of our training programs to train folks with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now.

In Pittsburgh, I directed the Treasury to create “my-RA,” a new way for working Americans, even if you’re not wealthy, to start your own retirement savings.

In Maryland, I rallied the leaders of some of America’s biggest tech companies to help us make sure all our kids have access to high-speed internet and up-to-date technology to help them learn the skills they need for the new economy.

And at the White House, I brought together business leaders who’ve committed to helping more unemployed Americans find work, no matter how long they’ve been looking.  And I directed the federal government to make hiring decisions the same way – based on whether applicants can do the job, not when they last had a job.

So when you hear me talk about using my pen and my phone to make a difference for middle class Americans and those working to get into the middle class, that’s what I mean.  And I’m going to keep asking students and parents and business leaders to help – because there are millions of Americans outside Washington who are tired of stale political arguments, ready to move this country forward, and determined to restore the founding vision of opportunity for all.

And so am I.  Thanks, have a great weekend, and to our Olympians in Sochi, go Team USA! 

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WEEKLY ADDRESS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Weekly Address: Making 2014 a Year of Action to Expand Opportunities for the Middle Class

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama said 2014 will be a year of action, and called on both parties to help make this a breakthrough year for the United States by bringing back more good jobs and expanding opportunities for the middle class.

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

The White House

January 18, 2014

Hi, everybody.  This week, I visited a company in Raleigh, North Carolina that helps make electric motors that save businesses money on energy costs and cut harmful carbon pollution.

And I stopped by N.C. State University, where engineers are set to develop the new technology that will make those motors even better.

It’s part of my push not only to make America home to more high-tech manufacturing – but to make America more attractive for the good jobs that a growing middle class requires.

And increasingly, we are.  Thanks in part to our all-of-the-above strategy for American energy, for the first time in nearly two decades, we produce more oil here at home than we buy from the rest of the world.  We generate more renewable energy than ever, and more natural gas than anybody.  Health care costs are growing at their slowest rate in 50 years – due in part to the Affordable Care Act.  And since I took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half.

So we are primed to bring back more of the good jobs claimed by the recession, and lost to overseas competition in recent decades.  But that requires a year of action.  And I want to work with Congress this year on proven ways to create jobs, like building infrastructure and fixing our broken immigration system.

Where Congress isn’t acting, I’ll act on my own to put opportunity within reach for anyone who’s willing to work for it. That’s what I did in Raleigh by launching America’s second “manufacturing innovation institute.”  It’s a partnership between companies, colleges, and the federal government focused on making sure American businesses and American workers win the race for high-tech manufacturing and the jobs that come with it – jobs that can help people and communities willing to work hard punch their ticket into the middle class.

I firmly believe that this can be a breakthrough year for America.  But to make that happen, we’re gonna have to act – to create good jobs that pay good wages, and to offer more Americans a fair shot to get ahead.  That’s what I’m focused on every day that I have the privilege of serving as your president. That’s what I’m going to be focused on every single day of this year.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WEEKLY ADDRESS FOR NOVEMBER 2, 2013

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Weekly Address: Passing a Budget that Reflects Our Priorities

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said that in order to keep growing the economy and creating good jobs, Washington must end its cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds.  It’s time for both parties to work together to pass a budget that reflects our priorities – making smart cuts in things we don’t need and closing wasteful tax loopholes, while investing in areas that create opportunities for the middle class and our future generations.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, November 2, 2013.

Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
November 2, 2013

Hi, everybody.  On Thursday, I addressed a conference for business leaders from around the world.  And my pitch was simple:  Choose America.  Invest in America.  Create jobs in America.

It speaks to my top priority as President: growing our economy, creating good jobs, strengthening security and opportunity for the middle class.

Over the past three and a half years, our businesses have created over seven and a half million new jobs.  And this week, the Treasury confirmed that since I took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half.

But we have more work to do.  We need to grow and create more good jobs faster.  That’s my driving focus.  And I’ll go anywhere and do anything to make it happen.

That has to be Washington’s driving focus as well.  But I know that what you often hear out of Washington can sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher – a jumble of unfocused noise that’s out of touch with the things you care about.

So today, I want to cut through that noise and talk plainly about what we should do right now to keep growing this economy and creating new jobs.

It begins by ending what has done more than anything else to undermine our economy over the past few years – and that’s the constant cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds.

I was glad to hear the Republican leader in the Senate say this week that they won’t pursue another government shutdown or threaten another default on our debt.  Because we shouldn’t be injuring ourselves every few months – we should be investing in ourselves.

And one way to do that is through the budget that Congress started working on this week.

Now, budgets can be a boring topic – especially on the weekend.  But they can also be revealing.  Because they expose what our priorities are as a country for all to see.

Think about it.  We can keep wasteful corporate tax giveaways that working folks don’t get – or we could close those loopholes and use that money to pay for things that actually create jobs.

We can keep harmful cuts to education programs – or we could give more kids a head start, hire more teachers in math and science, and help more kids afford a college education.

We can keep doling out corporate welfare to big oil companies – or we could keep investing in the renewable energy that creates jobs and lowers our carbon pollution.

Priorities. Choices.  That’s what this is about.  And the stakes for the middle class couldn’t be higher.  If we don’t pick the right priorities now, make the right choices now, we could hinder growth and opportunity for decades, and leave our children with something less.

That includes the obsession with cutting just for the sake of cutting.  That hasn’t helped our economy grow; it’s held it back.

Remember, our deficits are getting smaller – not bigger.  On my watch, they’re falling at the fastest pace in 60 years.  So that gives us room to fix our long-term debt problems without sticking it to young people, or undermining our bedrock retirement and health security programs, or ending basic research that helps the economy grow.

Here’s the bottom line.  Congress should pass a budget that cuts things we don’t need, and closes wasteful tax loopholes that don’t help create jobs, so that we can free up resources for the things that actually do create jobs and growth.

Building new roads, and bridges, and schools, and airports – that creates jobs.

Educating our kids and our workers for a global economy – that helps us grow.

Investing in science, technology, and research – that keeps our businesses and our military on the cutting edge.  It’s vital for our economic future.

So the question isn’t between growth and fiscal responsibility.  We need both.  The question can’t be how much more we can cut; it’s got to be how many more jobs we can create, how many more kids we can educate, and how much more shared prosperity we can generate.

Because in America, our economy doesn’t grow from the top-down.  It grows from the middle-class out.  And as long as I am President, our national mission will remain building an America where everyone belongs, and everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead.

Thanks, and have a great weekend.

SECRETARY OF LABOR PEREZ LAUDS SENATE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BILL

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Perez: Senate workforce investment bill will create opportunity, strengthen middle class

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Tom Perez today issued the following statement regarding Senate committee markup of the Workforce Investment Act of 2013:

"To create opportunity for the American people and ensure a better bargain for the middle class, we need strong partnerships to build a world-class workforce.
"By collaborating with business leaders, labor, workforce boards, community colleges, nonprofits and others, we can build a workforce system that ensures workers have the skills they need to succeed and employers have the workforce they need to compete in the 21st century.

"We applaud the U.S. Senate for taking a major step in that direction with the bipartisan approval by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of S. 1356, the Workforce Investment Act of 2013. I particularly want to thank Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Alexander, Senator Murray and Senator Isakson for their efforts. This step to modernize the Act is long overdue — it was 15 years ago this summer that the Workforce Investment Act first became law.
"We need a demand-driven approach to workforce development, one that responds to the needs of employers and prepares people for the jobs that are actually available. We need to align the workforce system with regional economies and establish a more integrated network of American Job Centers. We need to promote innovation and strengthen performance evaluation in the system, so consumers can get information about programs and services that work and taxpayers know we are spending their dollars wisely.

"S. 1356 meets these tests, building on the strength of the current law at the same time that it updates and streamlines the system. It is a significant improvement over the partisan legislation passed by the House in March. The House bill froze funding and failed to provide many of the services needed by workers with the greatest barriers to employment, including veterans, disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities.

"We hope that S. 1356 will move quickly to the Senate floor, with Congress sending a sound, bipartisan bill to the White House for the president's signature. Reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act will grow our economy, help restore middle-class security and empower more people to live the American Dream."

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA CALLS REPUBLICAN BUDGET A "TROJAN HORSE"

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the Associated Press (AP) Luncheon at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., April 3, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President believes this is a make or break moment for the middle class and those working to reach it.  That’s why he has put forward a blueprint for an economy built to last - one where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.

Today at the Associated Press Luncheon, the President discussed how his vision differs with the radical vision laid out in the House Republican Budget:

“This Congressional Republican budget, however, is something different altogether.  It’s a Trojan Horse.  Disguised as deficit reduction plan, it’s really an attempt to impose a radical vision on our country.  It’s nothing but thinly-veiled Social Darwinism.  It’s antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity and upward mobility for everyone who’s willing to work for it – a place where prosperity doesn’t trickle down from the top, but grows outward from the heart of the middle class.  And by gutting the very things we need to grow an economy that’s built to last – education and training; research and development – it’s a prescription for decline.”

The President’s approach to reducing our deficit is a balanced approach that asks the wealthiest to pay their fair share, achieves significant health savings and enacts sensible spending cuts while making the investments we need to have a strong middle class.
Take a look at how the President’s approach and the Congressional Republican policies stack up side by side:

Side by Side - The President’s Budget vs. Republican Budget
It’s a test of fairness.  The Congressional Republican budget gives every millionaire and billionaire a tax cut of at least $150,000 paid for by ending Medicare as we know it and gutting programs that help the middle class and our economy.  This graphic shows just what that $150,000 means to those programs our economic recovery depends on:

The House Republican Budget – The Budget Fails the Test of Balance, Fairness, and Shared Responsibility
By standing by massive tax cuts we can’t afford paid for by the middle class and seniors, the Republican establishment has rubber stamped the economic policies of the past that caused the financial crisis in the first place.   Just take a look at how much the Republican policies of the past added to our deficit:

 Changes in Deficit Projections Since January 2001
At this critical moment for our economy and the middle class, the President will continue to stand by a policy of fairness that reflects our core values as a nation.
Dan Pfeiffer is the White House Communications Director