House Proceeding on Feb 24th, 2009 :: 0:01:30 to 0:07:10
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0:01:25 to 0:01:46( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: mcdermott, for five minutes. mr. mcdermott: madam speaker, i ask unanims consent to address the house for five m the speaker: without objection. mr. mcdermott: madam speaker, tonight the president will address an expectant country in

0:01:30 to 0:07:10( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jim McDermott

0:01:47 to 0:02:07( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: a joint session of congress and will give the american people a report on the progress that he has made and intends to make in the near future. the key word here is progress. in barely a month president obama has shown us that he can walk the talk.

0:02:08 to 0:02:29( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: the stimulus package the president signed into law will take america down a road we did not see in the last administration. it's one that governs from the center, focused on the average american, the average person

0:02:30 to 0:02:50( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: that gets up in the gets to work at 8:00, gets home at 5:00 and maybe coaches baseball or maybe it's a single mother who fws up, picks her kids up at daycare and goes home and takes care of them for the evening. but it's focused on the average american. now, in the last eight years these people have either been

0:02:51 to 0:03:14( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: left behind or thrown overboard by the last administration in its rush to open america's purse, wallet, whatever you want, bank vaults, to their friends. the economic disaster that president obama is facing and will talk about to the america people today and tonight is

0:03:15 to 0:03:35( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: really there waiting on the desk when he got to the office. he didn't bring it with him. he didn't have very much to do in creating it. he was in the senate for a short time. it was presented to him by the last administration and he is now in one month given us a recovery plan that helps the

0:03:36 to 0:03:56( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: american people. above president strikes a very delicate balance in a very thin tight rope between economic recovery and economic disaster. how do you deal with it when going downhill? it's like being in the

0:03:57 to 0:04:17( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: mountains. people in western washington are up climbing mountains. one of the things you have to do in climbing in mountains where there's snow is learn how to do it at a rest. you're sliding down a glacier, what do you do to stop yourself from falling and the first thing you got to do is put that

0:04:18 to 0:04:38( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: ice ax in and hold. now, the president is working on that sort of problem. we have been sliding down and have been since september very abruptly and he has to bring this slide to a halt and then start to climb to get us back up on our feet and get us back in the climb. now there are those who say we should throw the banking

0:04:39 to 0:04:59( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: institutions overboard because of their unrestrained practices. maybe we have to nationalize banks. one does not know exactly what's going to be necessary, but the president has begun to show that he's willing to make the tough decisions that has to be done. there are some who say the average american doesn't benefit. i've had calls, i've had people

0:05:00 to 0:05:21( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: come up to me and say, i pay my bills, i do fering right, i didn't go out and borrow a lot of money and it looks like the only people getting benefits out of this are those who made crazy, wild decisions like bankers. why am i not getting something? but people do count in this

0:05:22 to 0:05:42( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: administration, finally. the u.i. benefits will help those who have lost their jobs. there's a payroll deduction that goes into the average person's pocket and there's going to be finally some oversight on governing on behalf of the american people. overall, returning america to the american people.

0:05:43 to 0:06:03( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: it took 96 months to destroy our economy. remember where mr. bush came in. there was a burgeoning surplus. we argued in 2000 about whether we would pay down the national debt too fast. that's where we were. well, he had a plan.

0:06:04 to 0:06:24( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: he didn't tell us what his plan was but it was to not only build down the debt but build it up dramatically in the period that followed. and this president, who has now come into office, has said we're going to stop that and we're going to change what's going on. now, i would recommend, and i ask unanimous consent that the

0:06:25 to 0:06:46( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: editorial from the 24th of february in "the new york times" entitled "what part of the stimulus don't they get," out to be in the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. mcdermott: this editorial reminds us that the other side of this body remains intent against american workers.

0:06:47 to 0:07:08( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: read the editorial. the governors of alabama -- excuse me -- mississippi, the governors o louisiana say we don't want -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. mcdermott: there is clearly some rethinking that's got to be done on the part of the -- half of this body in terms of

0:07:09 to 0:07:11( Edit History Discussion )

Jim McDermott: what's going on in this country.