Obama touts ‘middle-class’ budget in address

President Obama is touting his fiscal 2016 budget as a blueprint for spurring middle-class growth in his first weekly address since he released the proposal.

“Because while we’ve come a long way, we’ve got more work to do to make sure that our recovery reaches more Americans, not just those at the top,” the president said.

{mosads}“That’s what middle-class economics is all about – the idea that this country does best when everyone gets their fair shot, does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.”

The president painted a broad brush, citing the budget’s plans to make childcare, college, paid leave, homeownership and retirement more affordable while also making investments in infrastructure, research and education. To pay for the $4 trillion budget, Obama called for raising taxes on wealthy individuals and closing tax loopholes.

Obama’s budget is dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Congress and includes expenditures that far outpace the budget caps put in place by sequestration. But since Obama holds veto power over any legislation Congress passes, the budget is seen as a starting point for many of the most contentious budgeting negotiations.  

“We should stop refighting old battles, and start working together to help you succeed in the new economy,” Obama said.

“That’s what you elected us to do – not to turn everything into another Washington food fight, but to have debates that are worthy of this country, and to build an economy not just where everyone can share in America’s success, but where everyone can contribute to America’s success.”

He also praised recent job numbers, which showed the best year for job creation in more than a decade as well as the longest ever streak of private sector job growth, as proof that the economy has turned around under the president’s watch.

“America is poised for another good year – as long as Washington works to keep this progress going,” Obama said.

“We have to choose – will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well, or will we build an economy where everyone who works hard can get ahead?”

Obama recorded the speech Friday at the Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. He held a town hall with students and faculty where he answered questions and hyped his plan to give students two years of community college tuition free, as long as they meet certain educational requirements.