English subtitles for clip: File:2013-05-18 President Obama's Weekly Address.ogv

1
00:00:08,728 --> 00:00:10,027
The President:
Hi, everybody.

2
00:00:10,027 --> 00:00:13,094
Over the past few months, I've
laid out a series of commonsense

3
00:00:13,094 --> 00:00:16,794
ideas to reignite the true
engine of our economic growth:

4
00:00:16,795 --> 00:00:19,828
a rising, thriving middle class.

5
00:00:19,828 --> 00:00:21,928
The way I see it, there
are three areas where we

6
00:00:21,928 --> 00:00:23,461
need to focus.

7
00:00:23,461 --> 00:00:27,293
One: making America a
magnet for good jobs.

8
00:00:27,294 --> 00:00:30,695
Two: making sure our workers have the education and skills

9
00:00:30,695 --> 00:00:32,895
they need to do those jobs.

10
00:00:32,895 --> 00:00:37,561
And three: making sure your hard work leads to a decent living.

11
00:00:37,561 --> 00:00:40,027
I've also been visiting cities
across the country that are

12
00:00:40,027 --> 00:00:41,695
doing some interesting
and creative things

13
00:00:41,695 --> 00:00:42,861
along these lines.

14
00:00:42,861 --> 00:00:45,593
So on Friday, for example,
I stopped by a factory in

15
00:00:45,594 --> 00:00:48,795
Baltimore that's creating good jobs here at home by exporting

16
00:00:48,795 --> 00:00:50,895
dredging equipment abroad.

17
00:00:50,895 --> 00:00:53,194
I read with young kids
at a pre-K program,

18
00:00:53,194 --> 00:00:55,561
where kids are getting a head
start learning the skills

19
00:00:55,561 --> 00:00:57,561
they need to succeed in life.

20
00:00:57,561 --> 00:01:00,127
And I stopped by a program
that's helping folks in tough

21
00:01:00,127 --> 00:01:03,328
circumstances -- especially
low-income dads --

22
00:01:03,328 --> 00:01:06,061
get the training and guidance
they need to find work and

23
00:01:06,061 --> 00:01:07,961
support their families.

24
00:01:07,961 --> 00:01:10,194
That's why I like getting out
of the Washington echo chamber

25
00:01:10,194 --> 00:01:12,194
whenever I can --
because too often,

26
00:01:12,194 --> 00:01:15,127
our politics aren't focused
on the same things you are.

27
00:01:15,127 --> 00:01:16,127
Working hard.

28
00:01:16,127 --> 00:01:19,393
Supporting your family and
supporting your community.

29
00:01:19,394 --> 00:01:23,127
Making sure your kids
have every chance in life.

30
00:01:23,127 --> 00:01:25,761
More than anything, the American
people make me optimistic about

31
00:01:25,761 --> 00:01:27,127
where we're headed as a nation.

32
00:01:27,127 --> 00:01:29,294
Especially after all we've
been through during the past

33
00:01:29,294 --> 00:01:30,961
several years.

34
00:01:30,961 --> 00:01:34,094
And that should encourage us
all to work even harder on the

35
00:01:34,094 --> 00:01:36,261
issues that matter to you.

36
00:01:36,261 --> 00:01:38,828
In a little over three years,
our businesses have created more

37
00:01:38,828 --> 00:01:40,961
than 6.5 million new jobs.

38
00:01:40,961 --> 00:01:43,094
And while our unemployment
rate is still too high,

39
00:01:43,094 --> 00:01:45,994
it's the lowest it's
been since 2008.

40
00:01:45,994 --> 00:01:49,628
But now we need to create even
more good, middle-class jobs,

41
00:01:49,628 --> 00:01:51,928
and we've got to do it faster.

42
00:01:51,928 --> 00:01:54,994
Corporate profits have
skyrocketed to an all-time high.

43
00:01:54,994 --> 00:01:58,227
But now we need to get
middle-class wages and incomes

44
00:01:58,227 --> 00:02:00,127
rising, too.

45
00:02:00,127 --> 00:02:01,327
Our housing market is healing.

46
00:02:01,328 --> 00:02:04,695
But we need to do a lot more
to help families stay in their

47
00:02:04,695 --> 00:02:07,428
homes, or to help them
refinance to take advantage of

48
00:02:07,428 --> 00:02:09,328
historically low rates.

49
00:02:09,328 --> 00:02:12,061
And our deficits -- well,
they're shrinking at the fastest

50
00:02:12,061 --> 00:02:13,394
rate in decades.

51
00:02:13,394 --> 00:02:16,394
But now we've got to budget in
a smarter way that doesn't hurt

52
00:02:16,394 --> 00:02:19,728
middle-class families or
harm critical investments in

53
00:02:19,728 --> 00:02:21,328
our future.

54
00:02:21,328 --> 00:02:23,628
So in a lot of sectors,
things are looking up.

55
00:02:23,628 --> 00:02:25,628
The American auto
industry is thriving.

56
00:02:25,628 --> 00:02:27,327
American energy is booming.

57
00:02:27,328 --> 00:02:30,494
And American ingenuity in
our high tech sector has the

58
00:02:30,494 --> 00:02:33,761
potential to change the way
we do almost everything.

59
00:02:33,761 --> 00:02:35,761
In the coming weeks, I'm going
to visit more cities like

60
00:02:35,761 --> 00:02:39,161
Baltimore, and Austin, Texas
-- where I was two weeks ago;

61
00:02:39,161 --> 00:02:41,761
places where Americans are
coming together to strengthen

62
00:02:41,761 --> 00:02:44,828
their own communities and economies -- and in the process,

63
00:02:44,828 --> 00:02:47,528
making this country
better for all of us.

64
00:02:47,528 --> 00:02:50,194
And I'm going to keep trying
to work with both parties in

65
00:02:50,194 --> 00:02:54,126
Washington to make progress
on your priorities.

66
00:02:54,127 --> 00:02:56,394
Because I know that if we come
together around creating more

67
00:02:56,394 --> 00:02:58,861
jobs, educating
more of our kids,

68
00:02:58,861 --> 00:03:01,628
and building new ladders of
opportunity for everyone who's

69
00:03:01,628 --> 00:03:06,327
willing to climb them --
we'll all prosper, together.

70
00:03:06,328 --> 00:03:07,328
Thanks.

71
00:03:07,328 --> 00:03:08,328
And have a great weekend.