Today Obama met with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and this week he'll meet with democrats and republicans on the economic package. He'll give an economic speech on Thursday. See photos here. He also met with his economic team today. Swift middle class tax cuts and incentives to business are the priority. Present at the meeting, according to The Hill, were:
Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, Treasury Secretary-nominee Timothy Geithner, chief economic adviser Lawrence Summers, energy czar Carol Browner, HHS Secretary-nominee Tom Daschle and Ron Klain, incoming chief of staff to Vice President-elect Biden.
Also present were Christina Romer, Obama’s chairwoman of the council economic affairs; Melody Barnes, the head of Obama's domestic policy council; and Peter Orszag, Obama’s incoming director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Here are some of the highlights. For the full transcript: CQ Politics:
SPEAKER: PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA
[*] OBAMA: Well, thanks for taking the time to come in for a moment.
You know, this is the core of my economic team, and the message of our meeting today is one that comes as no surprise to most Americans, and that is we are in a very difficult spot. The economy is bad. The situation is getting worse.
Last week, we learned that manufacturing had hit a 20-year low. On Friday, we’re going to get the final jobs report from this year, and every indication is that we will have lost in 2008 more jobs than at any time since World War II.
It’s clear that we have to act and we have to act now to address this crisis and break the momentum of the recession or the next few years could be dramatically worse. That’s the message that I delivered to Speaker Pelosi this morning. I will be meeting with Harry Reid and with the bipartisan leadership group this afternoon.
And the most important message today is that the situation is getting worse, we’ve got to act boldly, and we’ve got to act swiftly. We cannot delay.
....
Over the last few weeks, our economic crisis has only grown deeper. Two million Americans have now lost their jobs over the last year. We have a substantial number -- in fact, Christina Romer, our economist from the Council of Economic Advisers, indicates to me that in addition to the 2 million who’ve lost jobs, you’ve got 2.8 million who have moved from full-time work to part-time work.
So when you start counting in people who are underemployed, then the situation is very dire for American families.
Again, manufacturing’s hit a 28-year low.
OBAMA: Across America, millions of Americans are struggling with rising costs, growing debts, concerns about home foreclosure, a deepening sense of unease.
When I last met with my team, I asked them to continue their work on an American recovery and reinvestment plan that would not only create jobs in the short term, but also spur economic growth and lay the foundation for a sustained competitiveness in this global economy over the long term.
....One of the things that I’ve emphasized to my team -- and one of the things that I’ve emphasized to congressional leadership and will emphasize again today -- is that not only do we have to act boldly, swiftly and with a sufficient magnitude to make a difference, but we’ve also got to do things in a new way.
It’s not going to be sufficient for us just to fall back into the old Washington ways and simply throw money at the problem. We need to demand vigorous oversight; we need to have strict accountability in terms of how the -- the recovery and reinvestment plan operates. The American people have a right to know how every dime of their money is spent, and that is going to be built into the plan, so that everybody understands what is being done in order to address this crisis.....
So I’m looking forward to meeting with both the Democrats and Republicans this afternoon. My expectation is that they will share the same sense of urgency that I do, that we are going to move quickly, that we’re not going to get bogged down in a lot of old-style politics on either side. OBAMA: There’s not going to be a lot of finger-pointing or posturing. The American people need action now. That’s what I intend to provide as president of the United States. So with that, let me take a couple questions. QUESTION: How fast does this plan need to move to passage? And in moving swiftly and boldly, are you concerned at all about sacrificing transparency and a full examination of the process? And also, if you don’t mind, could you also talk about the extent to which the tax cut part of this plan is political (OFF-MIKE) getting it passed? OBAMA: Well, let take the second question first. Some of you, at least, were following the campaign. And for the last two years, I’ve talked about the need for middle-class tax cuts. So the notion that me wanting to include relief for working families in this plan is somehow a political ploy, when this is -- was the centerpiece of my economic plan, for the last two years, doesn’t make too much sense. What -- in a bad situation, there is a happy convergence between what I had pledged during the campaign and what’s required for the economy, right now, to put more money into the pockets of ordinary Americans who are more insecure about their jobs, who are continuing to see rising costs in an area like health care, who are struggling to make ends meet. But, you know, we think it is very important to have a balanced recovery and reinvestment package. Part of it is going to be addressing consumers and making sure they’ve got money in their pockets. Part of it is to provide incentives for businesses so that they start investing in plants and equipment that ultimately leads to jobs. Part of it is going to be investing in the kinds of job-creating growth industries of the future, whether it’s health I.T., whether it’s energy, that assure economic competitiveness over the long term. OBAMA: So I wouldn’t separate any of these parts. They’re all of a piece. And, as far as your first question, we are confident that we can accomplish unprecedented transparency, even as we move this package forward. Not only will Congress know exactly what’s in this bill, but we’re exploring steps, for example, like putting on a Web site very detailed information about all the projects that are taking place, what kind of impact we expect them to have, what kinds of job growth we hope to generate as a consequence of any of the discrete items that we are -- that we’re putting forward. QUESTION: Good afternoon, sir. To what extent has the violence in the Middle East distracted your team on the economic plan? And is the deadline for your stimulus -- are you still hoping for -- has it slipped to February? (CROSSTALK) OBAMA: Well, as I said before, I strongly believe that a president or a president-elect or his team should be able to do more than one thing at a time. And so, obviously, international affairs are of deep concern. With the situation in Gaza, I’ve been getting briefed every day. I’ve had consistent conversations with members of the current administration about what’s taking place. That will continue. I will continue to insist that when it comes to foreign affairs, it is particularly important to adhere to the principle of one president at a time, because there are delicate negotiations taking place right now, and we can’t have two voices coming out of the United States when you have so much at stake. With respect to the timetable for the economic recovery and reinvestment plan, we are going to do most of this work this month. OBAMA: And, you know, we’re not waiting. The reason I’m here today is that we are going to present our latest ideas to Congress. We expect them to begin this week on this process. And, you know, I expect to sign a bill to create 3 million jobs for the American people shortly after I get inaugurated. QUESTION: Sir, what do you mean by shortly after? (LAUGHTER) OBAMA: Well, look, there are only so many days in the legislative process, and it’s going to take some time, even on an expedited schedule, to get a bill passed and on my desk. But we anticipate that by the end of January or the first week in February we have gotten the bulk of this done. STAFF: Thanks, guys. We got to get to the Hill. OBAMA: All right. Thank you.
Politico: 1) Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison Valerie B. Jarrett became the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Company on January 31, 2007. From November 1995 through January 31, 2007, she was the Executive Vice President of The Habitat Company. The Habitat Company is one of the nation's premier developers and managers of residential apartments and condominiums. Habitat has developed more than 17,000 housing units and currently manages more than 20,000 units. Before joining The Habitat Company in 1995, Ms. Jarrett served for eight years in the City of Chicago government; first as Deputy Corporation Counsel for Finance and Development, then as Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Richard M. Daley and finally, as Commissioner of the Department of Planning and Development. Prior to her City government service, Ms. Jarrett practiced law with two private law firms.
Ms. Jarrett currently serves as a co-chair of the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team and as a Director of USG Corporation, Inc., Navigant Consulting, Inc. and RREEF America II. She is Chairman of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees. She is also Vice Chairman of The University of Chicago Board of Trustees, the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee, and Metropolis 2020. She is a Director of the Local Initiative Support Corporation, The Joyce Foundation, The Metropolitan Planning Council and the Central Area Committee. She is a Trustee of the Museum of Science and Industry.
From 1995-2003, Ms. Jarrett also served as Chairman of the Chicago Transit Board. Ms. Jarrett served as Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Inc, from April 2004 through April 2007, and Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Stock Exchange Holdings, Inc., from February 2005 through April 2007. She also served as a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago from January 2006 through April 2007. Ms. Jarrett served as Finance Chair for the 2004 U.S. Senatorial Campaign for Barack Obama, the first Treasurer of the Senator's PAC, the Hopefund, and served as a Senior Advisor to the Obama for America Presidential Campaign. Ms. Jarrett received a J.D. degree from The University of Michigan Law School in 1981 and an A.B. degree from Stanford University in 1978.
2) Phil Schiliro, Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Philip M. Schiliro is currently the Director of Congressional Relations for the transition team of President-Elect Barack Obama. Schiliro was a senior advisor to Senator Obama's presidential campaign. He has worked in the United States Congress for more than 25 years. Schiliro served as the Chief of Staff to Representative Henry Waxman and the House Oversight Committee in the House, and the Policy Director for Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and Staff Director of the Senate Democratic Leadership Committees in the Senate.
3) Ron Klain, Chief of Staff to the Vice President Ronald A. Klain has served in all three branches of the federal government. Mr. Klain previously worked for Senator Biden as Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee; during his tenure, the Committee acted on significant anti-crime legislation and two Supreme Court nominations. Mr. Klain later served as Staff Director for the Senate Democratic Leadership Committees under Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). In the executive branch, Mr. Klain served as Chief of Staff to Vice President Al Gore for four years; he also served as Chief of Staff to Attorney General Janet Reno, and Associate Counsel to President Clinton in charge of judicial selection. Mr. Klain began his legal career as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Byron White, after graduating from the Harvard Law School magna cum laude.
Ron Klain has played a role on the debate preparation teams of every Democratic Presidential nominee since Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign. In 2008, he http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giftook an unpaid leave of absence from his post as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Revolution LLC, to serve on the debate preparation teams for both Senators Obama and Biden.
Mr. Klain is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana. He now lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife Monica Medina, Senior Environmental Counsel at the Pew Charitable Trusts, and their three children, Hannah, Michael and Daniel.
Also, Tomorrow's morning news shows:
ABC's 'This Week' - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif.
CBS' 'Face the Nation' - Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.; Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.; Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La.; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.
NBC's 'Meet the Press' - Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.; Shelby; T. Boone Pickens, chairman of the energy investment fund BP Capital.
CNN's 'Late Edition' - Reps. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Ted Turner, CNN founder and author of a new memoir.
'Fox News Sunday' - Sens. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.; Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn.; former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, R-Md.
CBS 60 Minutes on Sunday: The Obamas. See the preview Valerie Jarrett talks about the transition:
