House Dem to Obama: "Be bold" in jobs speech
Democratic Rep. Xavier Becerra called on President Obama to "be bold" in his jobs speech this Thursday, emphasizing that the bottom line for any job creation program should be that "if what you're proposing loses a job in America, we shouldn't be moving on that."
The California Democrat, speaking in a Tuesday press conference with House Democrats on their jobs plan, sent a clear message to the president on what he wanted to see in the president's remarks: "In two days, be bold... Hit it out of the park."
"It's time again that America works for Americans who work for a living," he added.
On Thursday night, Mr. Obama will unveil what is being touted as a comprehensive plan to create jobs in remarks before a joint session of Congress. The president will undoubtedly seek to use the speech as an opportunity to restore Americans' faith in his economic leadership - particularly amid a handful of new polls suggesting that Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of his handling of the economy.
In the Tuesday press conference, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Democrats were "looking forward to the president's speech," and praised Mr. Obama's commitment to veterans. She also reiterated her commitment to the public sector. "The public space must be respected if we're going to proceed; if we're going to keep America number one," she said.
Becerra, who was one of three House Democrats tapped to serve on the so-called Super Committee charged with finding $1.2 trillion in deficit savings by the end of the year, said it wasn't just the president he was calling on to "be bold."
"My own personal opinion is that we should bold in this super committee as well," he said.
Calling on his fellow committee members to show a willingness to "take on sacred cows," Becerra continued: "If we're going to get America back on track you can't just fiddle around the edges."
Still, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., added a cautionary note on the possible limitations of the committee: "We are not the chosen twelve," he said.
