Politics
As the election rhetoric increases, Obama hits out at GOP
President Barack Obama is promoting his efforts to make government more efficient and to persuade companies to bring jobs back to the U.S. from overseas.
He rolled out those election-year ideas this past week and used his radio and Internet address Saturday to urge Congress and the private sector to get on board.
“Right now, we have a 21st century economy, but we’ve still got a government organized for the 20th century,” Obama said. “Over the years, the needs of Americans have changed, but our government has not. In fact, it’s gotten even more complex. And that has to change.”
On government reorganization, Obama wants a guarantee from Congress that he could get a vote within 90 days on any idea to consolidate federal agencies, provided his plan saves money and cuts the government. His first order of business would be to merge six major trade and commerce agencies into one, eliminating the Commerce Department, among others.
The proposal is a challenge to congressional Republicans because it embraces the traditional GOP goal of smaller government.
