WEEKLY ADDRESS: Democrats and Republicans Have Shared Responsibility to Move America Forward

WEEKLY ADDRESS: Democrats and Republicans Have Shared Responsibility to Move America Forward

 

WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Obama resolved to do everything he can to make sure the economy is growing, creating jobs, and strengthening the middle class in the new year.  With each party controlling one house of the Congress, Democrats and Republicans will share the responsibility to move the country forward, and the President reiterated his commitment to work with anyone who has a good idea in either party.

 

The full audio of the address is HERE. The video can be viewed online at www.whitehouse.gov.

 

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Weekly Address

The White House

January 1, 2011

 

Hello, everybody.  As we close the books on one year and begin another, I wanted to take a moment today to wish you a very Happy New Year and talk a little bit about the year that lies ahead.

 

At the start of 2011, we’re still just emerging from a once-in-a-lifetime recession that’s taken a terrible toll on millions of families.  We all have friends and neighbors trying to get their lives back on track.

 

We are, however, riding a few months of economic news that suggests our recovery is gaining traction.  And our most important task now is to keep that recovery going.  As President, that’s my commitment to you: to do everything I can to make sure our economy is growing, creating jobs, and strengthening our middle class.  That’s my resolution for the coming year.

 

Still, even as we work to boost our economy in the short-term, it’s time to make some serious decisions about how to keep our economy strong, growing, and competitive in the long run.  We have to look ahead – not just to this year, but to the next 10 years, and the next 20 years.  Where will new innovations come from?  How will we attract the companies of tomorrow to set up shop and create jobs in our communities?  What will it take to get those jobs?  What will it take to out-compete other countries around the world?  What will it take to see the American Dream come true for our children and grandchildren?

 

Our parents and grandparents asked themselves those questions.  And because they had the courage to answer them, we’ve had the good fortune to grow up in the greatest nation on Earth.

 

Now it’s our turn to think about the future.  In a few days, a new Congress will form, with one house controlled by Democrats, and one house controlled by Republicans – who now have a shared responsibility to move this country forward.  And here’s what I want you to know: I’m willing to work with anyone of either party who’s got a good idea and the commitment to see it through.  And we should all expect you to hold us accountable for our progress or our failure to deliver.

 

As I’ve said since I first ran for this office, solving our challenges won’t be quick or easy.  We have come through a difficult decade; one of new threats and new trials we didn’t expect when it began.  But a new year and a new decade stretch out before us.  And if we just remember what America is capable of, and live up to that legacy, then I’m confident that we are poised for a period of progress – one in which our economy is growing, our standing in the world is rising, and we do what it takes to make sure America remains in the 21st century what it was in the 20th: the greatest country in the world.

 

Thanks for listening.  And Happy New Year.

 

 

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Statement by President Barack Obama on the One Year Anniversary of the Attack on CIA Personnel

Statement by President Barack Obama on the

One Year Anniversary of the Attack on CIA Personnel

 

 

One year ago today, at a remote outpost at Khost, Afghanistan, seven American patriots showed us the true meaning of honor, integrity, and selfless sacrifice.  For their colleagues and friends at the CIA, it was a heartbreaking loss of experienced veterans and young officers who served on the front lines in the fight to keep our nation safe.  For Americans to whom the work of our intelligence community is largely unknown, it was a rare glimpse into the risks that our intelligence professionals accept in defense of the security and freedoms that we cherish.  And for those of us who gathered at Langley last February to pay tribute to these seven heroes and to comfort their families, it was an occasion to rededicate ourselves to their work and to the ideals for which they died.

 

In the year since, that is what we have done.  As President, I rely on our intelligence, military, and civilian personnel every day, and I know that our country is more secure, and the American people are safer, because of their extraordinary service.  Today, al Qaeda’s senior leadership is under more pressure than ever before and is hunkered down in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.  We are relentlessly pursuing our mission to disrupt, dismantle, and ultimately defeat that terrorist organization.  In the United States and around the world, plots have been thwarted, attacks have been disrupted, and the lives of Americans have been saved.

 

This is the legacy of the courageous Americans who gave their lives one year ago and whose stars now grace the Memorial Wall at Langley, just as it is the legacy of our troops who have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.  As we mark the first anniversary of their sacrifice at Khost, this is the work to which we recommit ourselves today.  We will ensure that our dedicated intelligence professionals have the training and tools they need to meet the missions we ask of them.  We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety and security of the American people.  And like our seven patriots at Khost, we will never waver in defense of the security and liberties that keep America strong and free.

 

 

Statement by the President on the terrorist attacks in Egypt and Nigeria

Statement by the President on the terrorist attacks in Egypt and Nigeria
I strongly condemn the separate and outrageous terrorist bombing attacks in Egypt and Nigeria. The attack on a church in Alexandria, Egypt caused 21 reported deaths and dozens of injured from both the Christian and Muslim communities.  The perpetrators of this attack were clearly targeting Christian worshipers, and have no respect for human life and dignity. They must be brought to justice for this barbaric and heinous act.  We are continuing to gather information regarding this terrible event, and are prepared to offer any necessary assistance to the Government of Egypt in responding to it.

 

The attack near an army barracks in Abuja also reportedly killed more than 20 people and wounded many more. Killing innocent civilians who were simply gathering – like so many people around the world – to celebrate the beginning of a New Year further demonstrates the bankrupt vision of those who carry out these attacks, and we are similarly prepared to offer assistance to the Government of Nigeria as it works to bring the perpetrators to justice.

 

The United States extends its deepest condolences to the families of those killed and to the wounded in both of these attacks, and we stand with the Nigerian and Egyptian people at this difficult time.