“[In 1987] We passed the first bill that allowed the government — in areas of high unemployment — to directly intervene and create jobs. Well, we’ve got the bill in here again and I’ve got nothing from the White House,” — John Conyers
At a press conference held by members of the House Out of Poverty Caucus Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich), the second most senior member of the U.S. House, was pointed in his criticism of the White House regarding jobs and cuts to Social Security the President put on the table last week.
“We’ve got to educate the American people at the same time we educate the President of the United States. The Republicans, Speaker Boehner or Majority Leader Cantor did not call for Social Security cuts in the budget deal. The President of the United States called for that,” Conyers, who has served in the House since 1965, said. “My response to him is to mass thousands of people in front of the White House to protest this,” Conyers said strongly.
Though the debt ceiling debate continues, many Democrats continue to say the real issue is jobs and unemployment. Yesterday, the PEW Research Center put out a study showing the wealth gap between whites, blacks and Hispanics is wider than at any time in history. Conyers focused on jobs and the White House throughout much of what he said.
Rep. John Conyers
“We want full employment as a matter of government policy. Which was passed in 1987 when I stood with Hubert Humphrey. We passed the first bill that allowed the government — in areas of high unemployment — to directly intervene and create jobs. Well, we’ve got the bill in here again and I’ve got nothing from the White House,” Conyers told the audience. Several CBC members have called for targeted help for high unemployment in the black community.
The black unemployment rate is 16.2% and the unemployment rate among black males is 17%. Last week NAACP President Ben Jealous and National Urban League President Marc Morial met with President Obama at the White House for thirty minutes. No new initiatives targeting high black unemployment came out of that meeting.
The press conference featured the heads of several organizations that focus on public policy and poverty. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Dennis Kucininch (D-Ohio), Jerold Nadler (D-NY), Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif) and Raul Grajalva (D-NM) also spoke at the press conference.
“I was the first member of Congress to come out for the 44th President. We’ve got to march on him. He’ll be before the Congressional Black Caucus on September 21st.” Conyers said referring to the annual CBC Gala. The President has addressed the gala each year he’s been in office.
Focusing on Obama, Conyers continued. “We want him to know from this day forward that we’ve had it. We want him to come out on our side not to watch and wait… We’re suffering,” Conyers said. Several members of the CBC, including, Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), and are beginning to speak out more publicly on jobs and the White House policy. Many have called for a targeted approach to the problem.
Conyers then spoke on depression level unemployment in his Detroit district where the struggles of the auto industry has caused some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.
“What Obama hasn’t said to us is “make me do it” but we have to make him do it… This is one of the most important issues we’re faced with,” Conyers said.
Thank you Rep. Conyers. I want to be in Wash DC on Sept. 17th. But, how do I get there? There is no money available for us in Florida to get there. Please let me know. Unless, I start walking today.
Sept 17th is plenty of time for me to get a ride there. I will be there! Thank God I have family members that already said they would join me if there was a protest in Washington, DC for 99ers.
I wish all the best to the people that are going to DC to protest. I wish I could go.
No Job, No money! CBC Job Tour Not coming to Northern California — San francisco–
Bay Area. Why Not? I got a message from Lauren saying “No” to my question on
if the CBC Job Tour is coming to the Bay Area. Unemployment in CA is high too.
What happened to George Miller (My local Rep) and Rep Barbra Lee (CA-Oakland)?
I’m tried of faxing thngs and not really good enough repsonse or help at that.
Employers are DIS-criminating against long-term unemployed. I keep getting first & second interview but not get hired. Gesh! It takes about 2 weeks to find a job to apply to b/c so many jobs a not a fit then it’s a process to wait to get a call for an interview only not to get hired. It’s terrible out here (Northern CA).
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Thank you, John Conyers!
If you don’t have the money to show up in DC (and I sure don’t) try calling the Obama for America campaign at 312-698-3670 and tell THEM how you feel. They need to know people realize that Obama is doing NOTHING for the people and is supporting measures that will hurt us.
I told a very nice woman why I was so angry (Obama is pushing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid cuts) and that while I supported him enthusiastically last time, this time I will NOT even vote for him. It’s sad but I think we’d have been as well off with the horrible McCain because Obama has been no different but at least the Democrats would have fought McCain.
Conyers is right — if this is what Obama stands for and it is, we need to oppose him.
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Senator Conyers,
THANK YOU for your leadership in raising this issue. I’ve already emailed President Obama and noted that this was unacceptable. Come next presidential election, I likely will NOT vote for him again. I’m considering a write in vote for Senator John Conyers and/or Dennis Kucinich – a wonderful ticket!
Thank you again, I do appreciate you.
L
since representative conyers was so against impeaching bush for anything. why the sudden concern about Americans? was he not always on the side of the Republicans in all of their crimes and always saying the democrats didn’t have the majority so why bother trying to get justice from the white house. is something different here?
When I ound out that the President’s first job after college came from Richard Nixon’s former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, I can now see the whole picture!!!!! Wake up America, he’s not completely what you think!
I think presidents are bought and paid for. It’s important to have someone who the majority would vote for, and Barack Obama certainly, and understandably after Bush gave us hope, that things were going to be different. But what I’m getting at is this, that underlying the party differences, there is still a cohesive direction in which those who have the power are taking this country. Foreign policy, social/public policy, military operations, anything and everything that is set up for the safety/security/economics of this country, is already determined. The only obstacle is “we the people”. So we are farmed. We are manipulated, we are propagandized, and there are those who are wealthy enough to help facilitate this. I applaud Rep. Conyers, for telling the truth about just who put the “three” “on the table”. But what if, the mismanagement of these programs, their funding, the trust itself, has now got us in a situation, with the ongoing globalization, and it’s effect, and our leaders subsequent mishandling of tax reform, or all of this was done on purpose, to reduce our people’s status to facilitate globalization. Who better to finally get it “on the table”, than Barack Obama? So what if he is a one term president. What I’m saying that this was probably the whole scheme of things. So maybe we need to educate ourselves in understanding world economics. I want to think that surely our standard of living, our human desire for better for ourselves economically does not have to be sacrificed to bring the rest of the world UP. I think that our government is misinformed themselves, by handlers, who lack the knowledge and understanding of how best to bring the world under one dominion. These people who are giving the instructions, the guidance to furthur one world dominion, hold antiquated views of humanity and I believe, highly suspect to be just plain evil and greedy. We need to weed out these “powers that be”, that are engineering this world globalization. I seriously doubt I’ll be voting for Barack Obama if our social contract programs get cut period. With or without the closing of tax loopholes for the wealthy and corporations. It is really disgusting and sad.
Thank you Congressman Conyers for standing for working families and calling for a real full employment bill. There is still hope in our democracy when we have an elected official like congressman Conyers who represents the citizens of his district. Too often today members of congress are but the puppets of the wealthy CEO’s, Wall Street financial institutions and speculators. Keep up the fight Congressman conyers America needs you!
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There was an article published in Firedoglake under ‘jeanine4truth’ The title was:
Rep. Conyers–Obama Demanded Social Security Cuts–Not GOP
By: Jeanine Molloff
It was also published in OpEdNews, but taken down this morning. It has been listed in WikiLeaksSecret.com, EIN News (Obama page), Truthfeeds, Topix, and PDA Illinois. The WikiLeaksSecret url is : http://wikileakssecret.com/rep-conyers-obama-demanded-social-security-cuts-not-gop-opednews/
This article not only includes the information in Rep. Conyers press conference, but also provides a clear contrast between Conyers (who marched and fought with Dr. King) and Harvard graduate Obama.
Hope it helps.
Jeanine Molloff
I am SO HAPPY to see ONE of the leading Democrats put into words the outrage that many Democrats feel toward this president that we voted into office. Until now, it’s seemed that Senator Bernie Sanders (an independent) was the only one speaking out and supporting THE PEOPLE.
72% of the American people want MORE TAXES for the rich and corporations. Yet, these representatives we’ve VOTED into office WILL NOT support this in Congress. So, we need to GET THEM OUT!!! We need to STOP automatically supporting these incumbents who amass their campaign funds from the corporation lobbyists and do their bidding.
Thank YOu….telling it like it IS.
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good for conyers to expose the truth. in the old days we called creatures like obama “uncle tom”…he and clarence “uncle tom ” thomas, have reached the heights of uncle tomism…to support these jive-asses is to reward the very people that hate your guts and love the rich and powerful. forget about supporting a despicable, common politician just because he’s black…kick his ass out of office just like any other jive-ass president…or better yet …impeachment sounds pretty good…and…”yes we can” impeach his sorry ass!
good for conyers to expose the truth. in the old days we called creatures like obama “uncle tom”…he and clarence “uncle tom ” thomas, have reached the heights of uncle tomism…to support these jive-asses is to reward the very people that hate your guts and love the rich and powerful. forget about supporting a despicable, common politician just because he’s black…kick his ass out of office just like any other jive-ass president…or better yet …impeachment sounds pretty good…and…”yes we can” impeach his sorry ass!
good for conyers to expose the truth. in the old days we called creatures like obama “uncle tom”…he and clarence “uncle tom ” thomas, have reached the heights of uncle tomism…to support these jive-suckers is to reward the very people that hate your guts and love the rich and powerful. forget about supporting a despicable, common politician just because he’s black…kick him out of office just like any other jive president…or better yet …impeachment sounds pretty good…and…”yes we can” impeach this sorry excuse for a leader and a human being.
lyndon larouche has been saying from day one that obama suffers from extreme psychotic narcissism…isn’t it clear now that obama only cares about adulation and not the nation?
can anyone explain to me any difference between obama and george bush?
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Those who can’t make the trip should be on the phones, asking their congressman to co-sponsor HR 1489 to restore the Glass-Steagall Act (Rep. Conyers has already done this.) The $16+ trillion that has gone to bail out Wall Street should be charged back and used to employ Americans, to rebuild our collapsing infrastructure, meet health care needs and other basic necessities.
the truth will set us free!!
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16% of unemployment is totally unacceptable and need immediate attention along
with the young college graduates who graduated to unemployment.
Many college graduates are turning to prostitution to pay off their college loans. That how
bad things have gotten.
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The potential renter has the option of buying a house in paphos car hire?
I plan to rent cars on when on their travels.
8 billion of the bailout amount went to investors who were
paid out in full, while imposing a substantial haircut on paphos car hire’s depositors.
I wonder if he was under the impression that the proposal would directly benefit Hispanics if he would have extended the meeting from 30 minutes to 2 hours and passed it into law through executive order.
Hispanics ‘claim’ they got the Presiden reelected when, in fact, they only assisted in getting him reelected. The Black community got President Obama reelected. He has over delivered on his promises to people with no real connection to him yet has utterly ignored the Black community who, let’s be real, carried this man into office for two terms.
What’s up with this?? He may not think he still needs us; however, when the real impeachment proceedings get further along he will realize just much more attention he should have paid to the people who really got him elected and reelected.
The spirit of everyone involved was just truly superb as it is a big deal putting on such a big show for such a big audience, noted Boyle.
Awesome website you have here but I was wondering
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