— by Dan Pfeiffer, Senior Advisor, The White House, @Pfeiffer44
The President made something very clear in his State of the Union address this past January:
Wherever and whenever he can take action to expand opportunity for more American families, he’s going to do it, with Congress or without.
Republicans in Congress have actually set records in obstruction and inaction, blocking simple yes-or-no votes on proposals that would create jobs and expand opportunity for more Americans. On the other hand, the President has steadily acted on his own to help build real, lasting economic security for the middle class.
We’re talking about actions that are:
- Creating new manufacturing hubs to spur new research and private-sector activity in communities across the country
- Expanding apprenticeships and job training programs that we know prepare workers for jobs of the future
- Getting the long-term unemployed back to work
- Addressing the gender pay gap
- Making college a reality for more young Americans
- Raising the minimum wage for employees on new federal contracts
And that’s just to name a few.
Of course, Congress has the ability to expand opportunity for more Americans even further.
And the President is just as eager now as he was four months ago to work with lawmakers when they are willing to act on behalf of working Americans.
But in the meantime, he’s not standing still — and that means working with the private sector, state and local officials, and anyone else who’s interested in building an economy where more hardworking people can get ahead. That’s what’s happening right now, and it’s what’s going to continue happening over the course of this year.