Politics. On Point.

Today at the White House, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, and other White House officials hosted 19 companies from across the American economy who are standing with the Obama Administration as founding pledge takers to launch the Fair Chance Business Pledge. The pledge represents a call-to-action for all members of the private sector to improve their communities by eliminating barriers for those with a criminal record and creating a pathway for a second chance. Companies signing the pledge today include: American Airlines, Busboys and Poets, The Coca-Cola Company, Facebook, Georgia Pacific, Google, Greyston Bakery, The Hershey Company, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System, Koch Industries, Libra Group, PepsiCo, Prudential, Starbucks, Uber, Under Amour/Plank Industries, Unilever and Xerox. Right now, there are approximately 2.2 million Americans behind bars. The United States accounts for 5 percent of the world’s population, ...

Jason Furman, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, issued the following statement today on the employment situation in August The Employment Situation in August Over the last four years, we've cleared away the rubble from the financial crisis and begun to lay a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth. While continued solid job gains, today’s employment report is another sign of progress, the report also underscores the need to continue pursuing policies that move our economy forward and restore middle class security Five Key Points in Today’s Report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics    1. Private sector employment has risen for 42 consecutive months, with businesses adding a total of 7.5 million jobs over that period. Today we learned that total non-farm payroll employment rose by 169,000 in August, with the private sector accounting for 152,000 of that gain. Private sector job growth was revised down for June (to 194,000) and Ju...

Staying true to his promise to the American people of his intent to create jobs President Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, will host an “ Insourcing American Jobs ” forum at the White House on Wednesday.  The forum will focus on the increasing trend of companies choosing to “insource” jobs and invest in growing in the United States. As part of the “Insourcing American Jobs” forum, the President will meet with business leaders, as well as experts on the topic, to discuss why it’s competitive to locate in the United States and what more can be done to work with companies to take similar steps to insource American jobs. Following the meeting, the President will deliver remarks to a group that will include leaders from the government and the private sector that are taking steps to encourage companies to insource and invest in America. In the afternoon, Cabinet officials will host panel discussions with both small and large businesses and experts on insourcing and i...

President Obama makes strong push to get Congress pass his proposed tax cut plan, extending the George Bush era tax plan.  Congress has 26 days 9 hours (essentially, before the end of the year to do so). Speaking today in the James Brady briefing room, President Obama remarked : "A year ago at this time, both parties came together to cut payroll taxes for the typical American family by about $1,000.  But as soon as this year ends, so does that tax cut.  If Congress fails to renew this tax cut before then, that same family will see a tax hike of about $1,000 a year.  There aren’t many folks either in the middle class or those trying to get into the middle class who can afford to give up $1,000 -- not right now.  And that's why Congress must act", the president said.  President Obama speaking today in the James Brady briefing room. "My message to Congress is this: Keep your word to the American people and don't raise taxes on them right now....

Speaking with the Key Bridge in the backdrop, President Obama set out once again to express the urgency for Congress to pass his American Jobs bill. President Obama speaking to workers with the Key Bridge back drop.  The bridge is one of many across, the country, in need of repair.  Photo/CD Brown. "The truth is, the only way we can attack our economic challenges on the scale that’s needed is with bold action by Congress", the President said.  "They hold the purse strings.  It’s the only way we’re going to put hundreds of thousands of people back to work right now - not five years from now, not 10 years from now, but right now.  It’s the only way that we’re going to rebuild an economy that’s not based on financial bubbles, but on hard work, on building and making things right here in the United States of America." True to form, Congress blocked the president's bill.  But so did Democrats, who fell nine votes short of the 60 needed to move ...

Ending his three-day, cross-country tour where he spoke on the administration's efforts to lower student college loan payments, President Obama also continues with his plan to outline steps to help businesses create jobs. Through two Presidential Memoranda issued today, the Obama Administration will take steps to speed up the transfer of federal research and development from the laboratory to the marketplace, and it will create BusinessUSA, a one-stop, central online platform where small businesses and businesses of all sizes that want to begin or increase exporting can access information about available federal programs without having to waste time navigating the federal bureaucracy.  These announcements are part of a series of executive actions to put Americans back to work and strengthen the economy because we can’t wait for Congressional Republicans to act. “With too many families struggling and too many businesses fighting to keep their doors open, we can’t wait for C...