[ti:20090124]
[ar:Armand Tanzarian]
[al:Words Of The President]
[00:20.42]We begin this year and this Administration in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that calls for unprecedented action.
[00:27.67]Just this week, we saw more people file for unemployment than at any time in the last twenty-six years,
[00:33.94]and experts agree that if nothing is done, the unemployment rate could reach double digits.
[00:39.01]Our economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity,
[00:42.95]which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four.
[00:47.93]And we could lose a generation of potential,
[00:51.02]as more young Americans are forced to forgo college dreams or the chance to train for the jobs of the future.
[00:57.33]In short, if we do not act boldly and swiftly, a bad situation could become dramatically worse.
[01:03.96]That is why I have proposed an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan to immediately jumpstart job creation as well as long-term economic growth.
[01:13.37]I am pleased to say that both parties in Congress are already hard at work on this plan,
[01:18.14]and I hope to sign it into law in less than a month.
[01:21.27]It’s a plan that will save or create three to four million jobs over the next few years,
[01:26.22]and one that recognizes both the paradox and the promise of this moment - the fact that there are millions of Americans trying to find work even as,
[01:34.66]all around the country, there’s so much work to be done.
[01:37.60]That’s why this is not just a short-term program to boost employment.
[01:42.08]It’s one that will invest in our most important priorities like energy and education;
[01:46.96]health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century.
[01:54.38]Today I’d like to talk specifically about the progress we expect to make in each of these areas.
[01:59.15]To accelerate the creation of a clean energy economy,
[02:02.40]we will double our capacity to generate alternative sources of energy like wind, solar, and biofuels over the next three years.
[02:09.98]We’ll begin to build a new electricity grid that lay down more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines to convey this new energy from coast to coast.
[02:19.88]We’ll save taxpayers $2 billion a year by making 75% of federal buildings more energy efficient,
[02:27.49]and save the average working family $350 on their energy bills by weatherizing 2.5 million homes.
[02:34.95]To lower health care cost, cut medical errors, and improve care,
[02:38.62]we’ll computerize the nation’s health record in five years,
[02:41.87]saving billions of dollars in health care costs and countless lives.
[02:46.05]And we’ll protect health insurance for more than 8 million Americans who are in danger of losing their coverage during this economic downturn.
[02:52.88]To ensure our children can compete and succeed in this new economy,
[02:57.67]we’ll renovate and modernize 10,000 schools, building state-of-the-art classrooms, libraries,
[03:03.40]and labs to improve learning for over five million students.
[03:07.08]We’ll invest more in Pell Grants to make college affordable for seven million more students,
[03:12.06]provide a $2,500 college tax credit to four million students,
[03:17.39]and triple the number of fellowships in science to help spur the next generation of innovation.
[03:23.26]Finally, we will rebuild and retrofit America to meet the demands of the 21st century.
[03:29.23]That means repairing and modernizing thousands of miles of America’s roadways and providing new mass transit options for millions of Americans.
[03:37.23]It means protecting America by securing 90 major ports and creating a better communications network for local law enforcement and public safety officials in the event of an emergency.
[03:48.21]And it means expanding broadband access to millions of Americans,
[03:52.24]so business can compete on a level-playing field, wherever they’re located.
[03:56.48]I know that some are skeptical about the size and scale of this recovery plan.
[04:00.55]I understand that skepticism,
[04:02.49]which is why this recovery plan must and will include unprecedented measures that will allow the American people to hold my Administration accountable for these results.
[04:12.20]We won’t just throw money at our problems - we’ll invest in what works.
[04:15.93]Instead of politicians doling out money behind a veil of secrecy,
[04:19.38]decisions about where we invest will be made public, and informed by independent experts whenever possible.
[04:25.70]We’ll launch an unprecedented effort to root out waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary spending in our government,
[04:31.83]and every American will be able to see how and where we spend taxpayer dollars by going to a new website called recovery.gov.
[04:41.21]No one policy or program will solve the challenges we face right now,
[04:45.29]nor will this crisis recede in a short period of time.
[04:48.64]But if we act now and act boldly;
[04:51.38]if we start rewarding hard work and responsibility once more;
[04:55.02]if we act as citizens and not partisans and begin again the work of remaking America,
[05:01.04]then I have faith that we will emerge from this trying time even stronger and more prosperous than we were before.
[05:08.06]Thanks for listening.