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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release April 16, 2011

Weekly Address: “We Can Live Within Our Means and Live Up to the Values We Share as Americans”

WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Obama said that to restore fiscal responsibility, we all need to share in the sacrifice – but we don’t have to sacrifice the America we believe in. Earlier this week, the President proposed a balanced approach to cut the deficit, which matches the $4 trillion in deficit reduction put forward by House Republicans’ plan. The President’s proposal does this by combing the entire budget for savings and asking everyone to do their part. The Republican plan, though, would end Medicare as we know it and make drastic cuts to education, infrastructure and clean energy, while giving away $1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthiest two percent.

The audio of the address is and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Complete address here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...s-we-share-ame

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Obama: Most people confident he was born in Hawaii
April 14, 2011 11:24 PM EST | AP

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-w...rump-birthers/

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Debt ceiling: Battle heats up
By Jeanne Sahadi, senior writer
April 15, 2011: 5:49 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Everybody's talking about debt. No wonder: The country's tab is a whisker away from the current debt ceiling.

The rhetoric is already loud, harsh and, at times, misleading. And there is more to come.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/03/news...faqs/index.htm

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April 15th, 2011
09:32 PM ET
President Obama tries to ease environmentalist fears
By: CNN's Cody Combs

Washington (CNN)- President Obama surprised a group of young environmental organizers Friday during what they thought was just a meeting with White House staffers about energy policy.

"We went in thinking we were meeting with senior staff and there walked in Barack Obama," said Courtney Hight, co-director of Energy Action Coalition, "We got to share with him what we care about."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...s/#more-154785

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Your 2010 Federal Taxpayer Receipt

In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised that this year, for the first time ever, American taxpayers would be able to go online and see exactly how their federal tax dollars are spent. Just enter a few pieces of information about your taxes, and the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, or health care.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/taxreceipt

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Geithner: Congress will raise the debt ceiling
By Sam Youngman - 04/17/11 10:27 AM ET

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner boldly predicted that Congress will vote to raise the debt ceiling next month, warning that failure to do so would bring "catastrophic" consequences for the U.S. and global economies.

Geithner said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the White House will work parallel to the debt ceiling debate to find other ways to cut spending, but "if we haven't worked all that out, we're still going to have to raise the debt limit."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...e-debt-ceiling

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Social Security still on Gang of Six table, Warner says
By Erik Wasson - 04/17/11 11:28 AM ET

The Gang of Six is attempting to put the December recommendations of the bipartisan fiscal commission into law. Social Security does not contribute to deficit spending since it draws benefits from a separate trust fund but the fiscal commission sought to ward off a solvency crisis for Social Security after 2037 by raising the retirement age while reducing benefits.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...le-warner-says

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As in 1984, we need the courage to raise taxes
By Walter Mondale, Friday, April 15, 4:42 PM

Taxes reveal who we are as a people and what we value. Polls consistently show that majorities of Americans are willing to pay taxes and even have them increased when the revenues are devoted to their priorities, such as education, health care and deficit reduction. The public’s support is greatest for raising taxes on the affluent, but it extends to hikes tied to popular programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

II lost the election, but I won the debate. Reagan ended up increasing taxes in 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 to mend the budget and tax systems.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...SkD_story.html

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Obama to hit road to rally support for debt reduction plan ahead of budget battles
By Zachary A. Goldfarb and Perry Bacon Jr., Sunday, April 17, 9:15 PM

President Obama will hit the road this week and forcibly deliver his message that a combination of spending cuts and tax hikes on the rich are necessary to rein in the nation’s rocketing debt — a high-stakes effort to rally public support ahead of a series of contentious budget battles in Congress.

From Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale to Facebook’s headquarters in Silicon Valley, Obama will make a series of campaign-style stops in an effort to block a Republican plan that would reduce the deficit by dramatically changing Medicare and reducing spending on education and other social programs.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...y.html?hpid=z1

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America's Richest Taxpayers See Federal Taxes Dramatically Drop
STEPHEN OHLEMACHER 04/17/11 04:02 PM ET AP

WASHINGTON — As millions of procrastinators scramble to meet Monday's tax filing deadline, ponder this: The super rich pay a lot less taxes than they did a couple of decades ago, and nearly half of U.S. households pay no income taxes at all.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_850174.html

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Economists growing more upbeat about future
Poll finds them noting decreasing unemployment, businesses preparing to hire
By The Associated Press
AP The Associated Press
updated 4/18/2011 7:34:24 AM ET 2011-04-18T11:34:24

A survey from the National Association for Business Economics finds that economists are hopeful that the broader economy is substantially improving, with rising employment reported for the fifth quarter in a row. The survey found that "companies appear to be positioning themselves for a firming economic environment," said Shawn DuBravac, an economist with the Consumer Electronics Association, who analyzed the findings

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42635330...n_the_economy/

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Obama Taxes & Income: President & First Lady Paid $453,770 In Taxes On $1.7 Million Income
TOM RAUM 04/18/11 03:35 PM ET AP
Associated Press writer Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, reported income of $1.728 million for last year, much of it from the sale of the president's pre-presidency books. They paid federal taxes totaling $453,770 after receiving a $12,334 refund.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_850649.html

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April 18th, 2011
03:01 PM ET
Michelle Obama, Jill Biden talk military families, other issues, on 'The View'
And excellent appearance.
By: CNN Political Producer Shannon Travis

Most of the talk focused on support for military families. In the audience were service members and their families, some of whom explained the challenges they face as they serve abroad while loved ones must care for family matters at home.

Are they ready for the grueling, upcoming presidential race?

"We're ready," Mrs. Obama responded.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...s-on-the-view/

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Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011
Poll: Best way to fight deficits: Raise taxes on the rich
By Steven Thomma | McClatchy Newspapers

Those are among the findings of a national McClatchy-Marist poll taking the country's pulse just as President Barack Obama and Congress launch what could be a multi-year debate on the role of government and how to finance it.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/1...-deficits.html

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07:32 PM ET
Another Seder at the White House
Posted by:
CNN White House Producer Shawna Shepherd

http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011...e-white-house/