{"id":562,"date":"2013-02-13T13:54:20","date_gmt":"2013-02-13T18:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/napervilledemocrats.org\/ntdo\/?p=562"},"modified":"2013-03-08T15:26:05","modified_gmt":"2013-03-08T20:26:05","slug":"fact-sheet-from-last-nights-sotu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/napervilledemocrats.org\/ntdo\/fact-sheet-from-last-nights-sotu\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact Sheet from Last Night’s SOTU"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Here’s the overview page from the White House Fact Sheet<\/a> for last night’s State of the Union speech.<\/p>\n

The President\u2019s Plan for A Strong Middle Class & A Strong America<\/strong><\/p>\n

A thriving middle class has always been America\u2019s engine of economic growth. Reigniting that engine is\u00a0the defining challenge of our time.<\/p>\n

The President\u2019s plan builds on the progress we’ve made during his first term and strengthens the middle\u00a0class by making America a magnet for jobs and manufacturing, equipping every American with the skills\u00a0they need to do those jobs, and ensuring that hard work leads to a decent living. These investments in\u00a0manufacturing, clean energy, infrastructure, and education will grow our economy from the middle class\u00a0out\u2014not from the top down\u2014and, when combined with the President\u2019s plan for balanced deficit\u00a0reduction, none of these proposals will add a dime to the deficit.<\/p>\n

Making America a Magnet for Jobs<\/strong><\/p>\n

The President\u2019s plan begins with attracting more jobs to our shores. Together, we can prove that\u00a0America is the best place to do business by training our workers for high-tech manufacturing jobs\u00a0and rebuilding our infrastructure so our businesses have the tools they need to compete in the\u00a0global economy. By investing in clean energy, we can continue to create good American jobs,\u00a0reduce our reliance on foreign oil, and reduce the cost of energy for families and businesses. And\u00a0we can cut red tape to create jobs rebuilding our housing sector and help responsible homeowners\u00a0save $3,000 a year by refinancing at today\u2019s low rates.<\/p>\n

Equipping Americans with the Skills they Need<\/strong><\/p>\n

Education and job training are critical to strengthening the middle class and preparing our kids to\u00a0compete in the global economy. The President\u2019s plan provides high-quality preschool for every\u00a0child and teaches high school graduates the real world skills they need to find a job today. For\u00a0those graduates pursuing higher education, the President\u2019s plan cuts the cost of college for\u00a0families by rewarding quality schools that make higher education affordable. And while we fix\u00a0our broken immigration system so everyone plays by the same rules, we also need to attract the\u00a0best workers and entrepreneurs to help create jobs and grow our economy.<\/p>\n

Ensuring Hard Work Leads to a Decent Living<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our economy is strongest when we expand opportunity and reward the hard work of every\u00a0American. The President\u2019s plan rewards work by raising the minimum wage in stages to $9 an\u00a0hour for 15 million Americans so an honest day\u2019s work pays more. For communities hardest hit\u00a0by the recession, the President\u2019s plan forges partnerships with businesses to rebuild\u00a0neighborhoods and provide job training that puts people back to work. And to strengthen families,\u00a0the President\u2019s plan secures equal pay for equal work and encourages fatherhood.<\/p>\n

Cutting the Deficit in a Balanced Way<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to making investments that we pay for responsibly to grow the middle class, the\u00a0President believes we need to cut the deficit in a balanced way so we don\u2019t pass on crushing debt\u00a0to future generations. The President is determined to cut wasteful spending, strengthen\u00a0entitlements, and ask the wealthy to do their fair share in order to finish the job of $4 trillion in\u00a0balanced reduction. We can also make our tax code more simple, fair, and competitive by\u00a0eliminating tax loopholes for the wealthy and big corporations. But deficit reduction alone is not a\u00a0plan for economic growth and we can\u2019t just cut our way to prosperity. Making smart investments\u00a0in our people that we pay for responsibly is the only proven way to both cut our deficits and create\u00a0a thriving middle class.<\/p>\n

While we won\u2019t solve every challenge we face, there are steps we can take right now to grow the economy\u00a0and where there is common ground the American people expect Congress to act. That is why the\u00a0President has called on Congress to rally around building a strong middle class and a strong America.<\/p>\n