Friday / Weekend Open Line


President Obama ended his three day tour of the Midwest at a town hall meeting on a farm in rural Illinois, where he took questions that ranged from enhanced protection for law enforcement officers to the shrinking size of local county fairs. The President’s last day was filled with opportunities to enjoy the rural landscape and attractions of his home state, and included stops at the Whiteside County Fair and a Galesburg High School football practice, in addition to an earlier town hall meeting in Atkinson.

The President also laid out a series of steps that Congress can take as soon as they return to Washington that will put money in people’s pockets and create good jobs, including

  • Extending the payroll tax cut that was passed in December that put $1,000 in the typical family’s pocket
  • Passing trade deals that have the support of both business and the United Auto Workers, deals that will help realize the President’s dream of seeing more products overseas that carry the stamp, “Made in America.”
  • Passing the America Invents Act which makes it easier to get patents for  new products, services or  inventions, they can turn it around without a lot of red tape and bureaucracy and start businesses that hire workers

Welcome to the Friday / Weekend Open Lines!