Tag Archives: United States

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Weekly Address: Helping Protect Our Kids by Reducing Gun Violence


Three months after the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, President Obama says that the Senate has taken important steps forward to help protect our kids by reducing gun violence. The American people made their voices heard, and the Senate made progress to make it harder for criminals and people with serious mental illnesses to get guns, to crack down on anyone trying to funnel guns to criminals, and to reinstate and strengthen a ban on the sale of military-style assault weapons. Each of these ideas deserves a vote.

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Take a Peek at the President’s Trip


President Barack Obama is greeted by Israeli President Shimon Peres and members of Hora, a local children's dance troupe, upon his arrival at the President's residence in Jerusalem, March 20, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Barack Obama is greeted by Israeli President Shimon Peres and members of Hora, a local children’s dance troupe, upon his arrival at the President’s residence in Jerusalem, March 20, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It’s President Obama’s second day in the Middle East, during the first foreign trip of his second term. While in the region, he’s met with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and today he addressed the Israeli people from Jerusalem, where he spoke about the future of the region: “That is where peace begins – not just in the plans of leaders, but in the hearts of people.”

See photos and videos from President Obama’s trip to the Middle East.

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:

President Obama Tells Israeli People: The U.S Is Proud to Be “Your Strongest Ally and Your Greatest Friend” The first stop on President Obama’s trip to the Middle East marks the first time the President has visited Israel since taking office, and comes as its citizens celebrate the 65th anniversary of a free and independent State of Israel.

Reaffirming the Incredible Bond Between the United States and Ireland President Obama holds a bilateral meeting with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny at the White House before heading to the Capitol for a St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon.

Health Care Law 3rd Anniversary: Paying for Quality Saves Health Care Dollars On the third anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius lays out some of the ways in which the health reform has lowered costs.

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A Trillion Dollar Boost


By ThinkProgress War Room

How a Path to Citizenship Will Boost the Economy

Reforming our broken immigration system and offering the 11 million undocumented immigrants already here a path to earned citizenship is morally right thing to do, but it’s also the economically smart thing. A new report out today from our colleagues at the Center for American Progress outlines how immigration reform will offer a tremendous boost to the economy — especially if reform includes the vital pathway to citizenship.

Here are some of the key numbers to know:

  • Cumulative increase in GDP of $1.1 TRILLION.
  • Cumulative increase in the income of all Americans of $618 BILLION.
  • Increase in federal taxes paid by undocumented immigrants of $91 BILLION.
  • Increase in state and local taxes paid by undocumented immigrants of $53 BILLION.
  • Earnings of undocumented immigrants would increase by 25.1 percent, a cumulative increase in earnings of $515 BILLION.
  • Average annual increase in jobs of 159,000.

(All figures are the gains over ten years based on undocumented immigrants acquiring legal status in 2013 and citizenship 5 years later.)

As this handy chart shows, the sooner undocumented immigrants become citizens, the bigger the boost to the economy:

It’s hard to appreciate what some of these figures mean in real life, so here are some examples of the economic benefits of immigration reform:

  • Education: The GOP budget cuts education funding per capita by 47 percent; taxes from new citizens would fund 1.5 MILLION special education teachers.
  • Infrastructure: While the GOP budget slashes spending on roads, bridges, schools, airports, and other infrastructure, taxes from new citizens could rebuild the San Francisco Bay Bridge 23 times over.
  • College Affordability: The $91 BILLION in additional federal tax revenue paid by new citizens would fund more than 16 MILLION additional Pell grants over the next ten years.
  • Teachers: The $53 BILLION in additional state revenue paid by new citizens would fund more than 1 MILLION new K-12 teachers over the next years.

For more information on how immigration reform will boost the economy, check out the full report HERE.

BOTTOM LINE: Undocumented immigrants are makers not takers and putting them on a path to earned citizenship will help these new citizens and their communities and boost the economy by over $1 TRILLION.

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

The GOP still won’t own up to its real problems.

Local TV news shows the painful consequences of the sequester cuts.

Another football player accused of rape, another community blames the victim.

Why Sen. Reid must include universal background checks in the Senate gun violence prevention bill.

Colorado governor signed gun law reforms today, will sign civil unions tomorrow.

Senators parrot NRA talking points to oppose gun violence prevention laws.

Not everyone is terrible: Steubenville-area women’s shelter receiving donations from around the world.

Iraq War architect says it’s “unreasonable” to question whether the war was worth fighting.