Full Text: U.K. PM Gordon Brown Speech to Joint Session U.S. Congress, March 4
(Source: Office of the Prime Minister)
Madam Speaker, Mr Vice-President, distinguished members of Congress, I come to this great capital of this great nation, an America renewed under a new President to say that America’s faith in the future has been, is and always will be an inspiration to the whole world.
The very creation of America was a bold affirmation of faith in the future: a future you have not just believed in but built with your own hands.
And on January 20th, you the American people began to write the latest chapter in the American story, with a transition of dignity, in which both sides of the aisle could take great pride. President Obama gave the world renewed hope, and on that day billions of people truly looked to Washington D.C as “a shining city upon a hill”.
Video: President Obama Weekly Address – Keeping Promises – The Budget – February 28
Filed under: Barack Obama, Energy Policy, Health Care, Recession, U.S. Economy
Full Text: President Obama Weekly Address – Keeping Promises – The Budget – February 28
Filed under: Barack Obama, Energy Policy, Health Care, Recession, U.S. Economy
(Source: White House Press Office)
Remarks of President Barack Obama – Weekly Address
Saturday, February 28th, 2009
Washington, DC
Two years ago, we set out on a journey to change the way that Washington works.
We sought a government that served not the interests of powerful lobbyists or the wealthiest few, but the middle-class Americans I met every day in every community along the campaign trail – responsible men and women who are working harder than ever, worrying about their jobs, and struggling to raise their families. In so many town halls and backyards, they spoke of their hopes for a government that finally confronts the challenges that their families face every day; a government that treats their tax dollars as responsibly as they treat their own hard-earned paychecks.
Full Text: Gov. Bobby Jindal’s Response to President Obama’s Address to Congress
(Source: LA Times) (As Prepared for Delivery)
Good evening. I’m Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana.
Tonight, we witnessed a great moment in the history of our Republic. In the very chamber where Congress once voted to abolish slavery, our first African-American President stepped forward to address the state of our union. With his speech tonight, the President completed a redemptive journey that took our nation from Independence Hall . to Gettysburg . to the lunch counter . and now, finally, the Oval Office.
Full Text: President Barack Obama – Address to Joint Session of Congress – February 24, 2009
(Source: White House Press Office)
Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery
Address to Joint Session of Congress
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, and the First Lady of the United States:
I’ve come here tonight not only to address the distinguished men and women in this great chamber, but to speak frankly and directly to the men and women who sent us here.
I know that for many Americans watching right now, the state of our economy is a concern that rises above all others. And rightly so. If you haven’t been personally affected by this recession, you probably know someone who has – a friend; a neighbor; a member of your family. You don’t need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis, because you live it every day. It’s the worry you wake up with and the source of sleepless nights. It’s the job you thought you’d retire from but now have lost; the business you built your dreams upon that’s now hanging by a thread; the college acceptance letter your child had to put back in the envelope. The impact of this recession is real, and it is everywhere.
Text: Fed Chairman Bernanke at National Press Club, February 18
Filed under: Banking, Recession, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
(Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System)
Federal Reserve Policies to Ease Credit and Their Implications for the Fed’s Balance Sheet
We live in extraordinarily challenging times for the global economy and for economic policymakers, not least for central banks such as the Federal Reserve. As you know, the recent economic statistics have been dismal, with many economies, including ours, having fallen into recession. And behind those statistics, we must never forget, are millions of people struggling with lost jobs, lost homes, and lost confidence in their economic future. In examples that resonate with me personally, the unemployment rate in the small town in South Carolina where I grew up has risen to 14 percent, and I learned the other day that what had once been my family home was recently put through foreclosure.
Video: President Barack Obama – Swearing In and Inaugural Address | January 20, 2009
Full Text: Barack Obama on Economy | Economic Recovery and Reinvestment | January 8, 2009
Filed under: Barack Obama, Obama Transition, Recession, U.S. Congress, U.S. Economy
(Source: Office of the President-Elect)
Throughout America’s history, there have been some years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare. Then there are the years that come along once in a generation – the kind that mark a clean break from a troubled past, and set a new course for our nation.
This is one of those years.
Text: Obama Speech at Statehouse, Columbus, Ohio | November 2, 2008
Ohio, I have just two words for you: two days.
After decades of broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from George Bush, and twenty-one months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are two days away from change in America. Read more
Text: Sen. Barack Obama Speech in Canton, Ohio | ‘One Week’ | The Closing Argument – October 27, 2008
(Source: Obama for America)
(Photo: The Plain Dealer)
As Prepared for Delivery
One week.
After decades of broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from George Bush, and twenty-one months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are one week away from change in America.
In one week, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street. Read more
Full Text: Ben Bernanke Speech | Economic Club of New York, NY | October 15
Filed under: Bailout Bill, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
(Source: U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors)
Stabilizing the Financial Markets and the Economy
Good afternoon. I am pleased once again to share a meal and some thoughts with the Economic Club of New York. I will focus today on the economic and financial challenges we face and why I believe we are well positioned to move forward. The problems now evident in the markets and in the economy are large and complex, but, in my judgment, our government now has the tools it needs to confront and solve them. Our strategy will continue to evolve and be refined as we adapt to new developments and the inevitable setbacks. But we will not stand down until we have achieved our goals of repairing and reforming our financial system and restoring prosperity. Read more
Full Text: Barack Obama Economy Speech | Toledo, Ohio | October 13
Filed under: Barack Obama, Presidential Campaign 2008, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
A Rescue Plan for the Middle-Class
As Prepared for Delivery
We meet at a moment of great uncertainty for America. The economic crisis we face is the worst since the Great Depression. Markets across the globe have become increasingly unstable, and millions of Americans will open up their 401(k) statements this week and see that so much of their hard-earned savings have disappeared. Read more
Text: President Bush Speech on the Economy, October 10
Filed under: George W. Bush, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
10:25 A.M. EDT (Source: White House Press Office)
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Over the past few days, we have witnessed a startling drop in the stock market — much of it driven by uncertainty and fear. This has been a deeply unsettling period for the American people. Many of our citizens have serious concerns about their retirement accounts, their investments, and their economic well-being.
Here’s what the American people need to know: that the United States government is acting; we will continue to act to resolve this crisis and restore stability to our markets. We are a prosperous nation with immense resources and a wide range of tools at our disposal. We’re using these tools aggressively. Read more
Text: Alan Greenspan Speech at Georgetown University, October 2
An article today in the New York Times investigates the legacy of Dr. Alan Greenspan’s 19 years as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Greenspan did not comment for the article but you can read what he said in a speech last week at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. to see if his thoughts on regulation, markets and the economy have changed.
Click Here for Text of Greenspan’s Speech as PDF
Full Text: Ben Bernanke Speech to National Association for Business Economics, Washington D.C., October 7, 2008
Filed under: Bailout Bill, U.S. Economy, U.S. Financial Crisis
Current Economic and Financial Conditions
Good afternoon. I am pleased to have once again the opportunity to address the National Association for Business Economics. My remarks today will focus on recent developments in the financial sector and the economy and on the challenges we face.
As you know, financial systems in the United States and in much of the rest of the world are under extraordinary stress, particularly the credit and money markets. The losses suffered by many banks and nonbank financial firms have both constrained their ability to lend and reduced the willingness of other market participants to deal with them. Great uncertainty about the values of financial assets, particularly more complex and opaque assets, has made investors extremely reluctant to bear credit risk, resulting in further declines in asset prices and a drying up of liquidity in a number of funding markets. Even secured funding has become expensive and difficult to obtain, as lenders worry about their ability to sell collateral in illiquid markets in the event of default. In addition, many securitization markets, such as the secondary market for private-label mortgage-backed securities, remain closed or impaired. Read more
