In his first prime-time press conference Monday night, President Barack Obama urged the American people to support the economic stimulus bill currently making its way through congress. The package, which would invest millions of dollars in federal programs, recently received 61 votes in the Senate, protecting the bill from further debate and setting it up for a final vote. In response to rising unemployment numbers, President Obama said action is needed immediately. In reference to his recent trip to an Indiana with over 15 percent unemployment, Obama said, “If there’s anyone out there who still doesn’t believe this constitutes a full-blown crisis, I suggest speaking to one of the millions of Americans whose lives have been turned upside down because they don’t know where their next paycheck is coming from.”
Quotes
“It is absolutely true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or economic growth. That is and must be the role of the private sector. But at this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back to life.” – President Barack Obama “Despite all of this, the plan is not perfect. No plan is. I can’t tell you for sure that everything in this plan will work exactly as we hope, but I can tell you with complete confidence that a failure to act will only deepen this crisis as well as the pain felt by millions of Americans.” – President Barack Obama “We find ourselves in a rare moment where the citizens of our country and all countries are watching and waiting for us to lead. It is a responsibility that this generation did not ask for, but one that we must accept for the sake of our future and our children’s. The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose.” – President Barack Obama
Warm Up Questions
1. What is happening to the American economy?
2. What can President Obama do to help restart the economy?
Discussion Questions
1. Why is employment such an important issue?
2. Do you think President Obama made an effective case for the stimulus package?
3. Do you believe that it is the role of the federal government to create jobs? Why or why not?
4. Has the recent economic downturn affected your community in any way? If so, how?
Additional Resources