Obama's Address Draws Praise for Focus on Jobs

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan is praising President Obama’s plan to allocate $30 billion of the money repaid by Wall Street banks toward helping community banks provide loans to small businesses. The proposal is one of several Obama put forth last night during his first State of the Union Address before Congress, a speech largely dominated by economic issues.

During the speech, Obama also proposed a new tax credit for small businesses that hire new workers or raise wages. He called for eliminating all capital gains taxes on small business investment, and providing a tax incentive for large and small companies to invest in new plants and equipment.

Through sheer grit and determination, companies have weathered the recession and are ready to grow, the president said. “But when you talk to small business owners in places like Allentown, Pa., or Elyria, Ohio, you find out that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they are mostly lending to bigger companies. Financing remains difficult for small business owners across the country. Even those that are making a profit,” he said. .

Obama “clearly acknowledged the challenges and the kinds of emotions that the American people are facing” and offered realistic solutions, said Ryan, D-17 Ohio,. The $30 billion in loans is “the perfect solution” to the challenges that small businesses are facing, he said. And the investments in community colleges Obama discussed will “bode well” for the new Eastern Gateway Community College, he remarked.

“It’s quite clear that the No. 1 issue is jobs,” Ryan said. Even though there are signs of recovery locally, such as the upcoming restart of the Severstal Warren mill and the launch of the Chevrolet Cruze at General Motors Lordstown, “It’s just not happening fast enough,” he said. “We’ve got to move forward.”

Ryan said it was important for the president to address the deficit -- Obama called for a freeze of most discretionary spending and the creation of a bipartisan fiscal commission. While no one wants to give up on health care reform, which has taken up much of Obama’s first year in office and which he alluded to in his address, Ryan said, “We need to take a deep breath and maybe set it aside: as the focus shifts to jobs for the time being. “I don’t think anyone has an interest in jamming anything through,” he remarked. “People are focused on getting our constituents back to work.”

Ryan’s fellow Democrat in the 6th District, U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, praised Obama for laying out a plan to create jobs, hold big banks accountable and make the economy work for the middle class again.

“The president talked directly to the American people about restoring security for middle class families,” Wilson said. “This past year we brought the economy back from the brink of a depression. Now, President Obama has outlined his vision to rebuild our economy.”

Congress, he said, has already helped jump start the economy through such measures as lowering middle class taxes, providing investment through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and expanding health coverage for children, and Obama laid out a serves of initiatives to build on those programs.

Wilson said he will continue working on issues that matter to the people of his district. “I’m ready to do that work with anyone that is willing to stand up and contribute, regardless of their party affiliation,” he said. “It’s time to put our differences aside and work for the good of the American people.”

Obama earned some praise from Ohio’s senior U.S. senator, George V. Voinovich, who is stepping down at the end of the year, in particular his decision to create a budget commission by executive order. Not resolving the problem of the growing national debt, will hurt the economy and national security and “cripple the future of our children and grandchildren.” he said. .

“I was pleased that he talked about the fact that we can’t keep going the way we are. But I would have liked to have seen him emphasize reaching out to the other side of the aisle and bringing us together,” said Voinovich, a Republican. Rather than talking about the leaders of both parties monthly, he said Obama should call for weekly meetings to build the trust level between Democrats and Republicans.

“We should not be concentrating on what divides us,” Voinovich said. He would have liked to have heard more from the president on jobs, and once again emphasized the reauthorization of the federal highway transportation bill as a means to create them. While the president did a good job overall, “I would like to have seen a little bit more passion, and more pressing of a message to Congress that he wants to work together -- what we have been doing doesn’t work,” he said.

Obama’s address “draws a clear contrast to the previous administration’s eight years of economic policies that saw wages fall, jobs shipped overseas, and left our economy on the brink of collapse,” remarked U.S. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio. With the president’s continued commitment to reinvigorating the nation’s economy and Ohio’s strengths, “we will emerge as a formidable force in the 21st century economy,‘ he said.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said Obama “hit the right tone” as he discussed the economic and national security challenges the nation faces and outlined “concrete ideas” to build on the steps that have already been taken to create jobs. “I was especially pleased that President Obama spoke of the need to increase access to capital for small business and provide additional help to spur hiring,” he said.

Gov. Ted Strickland praised Obama for laying out “a robust job-creating agenda” to assist middle-class families, and said he is encouraged by the president’s call for a new jobs bill that will build on the Recovery Act.

“In the face of instability a year ago, the president has since made important, targeted investments that are helping people find employment and advance industries that have the potential for long-term gain,” Strickland said.

The governor said he is grateful that Obama “had heard our small business people and will be dedicating significant resources to enhance access to credit.”

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, who is running to succeed Voinovich, said he is pleased to see Obama “focusing like a laser on job creation,” which has to be “our top priority.”

Jim Guest, the president of the Consumers Union, publisher of the nonprofit Consumer Reports magazine, who attended the address, said Obama’s speech “served up some tough talk about Wall Street abuses,” and he heard a commitment to protect consumers and reign in some of the institutions that sparked the financial crisis. “Now it’s time for Congress to get on the same page,” he said.

“It’s important the President indicated his continuing commitment to fixing our broken health care system,” he said. “Hopefully, the speech can help shift the debate away from the political posturing and focus on what’s really important -- the problems Americans have getting affordable, reliable health care. If we walk away from this problem, it’s only going to get worse.”