Barack Obama Hosts Discussion on Reclaiming the American Dream

Barack Obama Hosts Discussion on Reclaiming the American Dream


CHICAGO, IL – Today in Cedar Rapids, U.S. Senator Barack Obama hosted a roundtable discussion with Iowans about the economic hardships too many American families face. As costs rise and working families fight to keep up, more and more are falling behind. Last month in Bettendorf, Obama detailed his plan to help working families reclaim the American Dream. Obama’s comprehensive plan will provide relief for the middle class and support for working people.


“It feels like the American Dream is slowly slipping away,” Senator Obama said. “Americans are working harder for less and paying more for health care and college. It’s harder to save and harder to retire. And as I see this every day on the campaign trail, I’m reminded of how unlikely it is that the dreams of my family could be realized today."


Obama discussed his proposals to make college affordable, to reform our bankruptcy laws, to protect the balance between work and family, and to put a secure and dignified retirement within the reach of all Americans.


“I’m running for President because I do not accept this future for America. And I don’t think we can afford another four years of the same divisive politics in Washington that’s more about scoring political points than solving these problems,” Obama continued. “Not when the income gap keeps growing. Not when our housing ills could infect the entire economy. Not when the average middle-class family has more than $8,000 in personal debt. We can’t afford to wait anymore. We can’t afford to do the same exact thing with the same exact people and expect a different result. It’s time for new leadership in Washington.”

Barack Obama’s comprehensive plan to help working families reclaim the American Dream will:
Provide a middle class tax cut of up to $1,000 for working families, and eliminate the income tax for seniors making less than $50,000 per year.
Address the challenge of balancing work and family by guaranteeing workers paid sick days, expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), supporting paid FMLA, and doubling funding for after-school programs.
Help Americans buy and keep their homes.
Protect American families by reforming bankruptcy laws, predatory credit card policies, and abusive payday lending practices.
Reduce health care costs by $2,500 for a typical family.
Strengthen retirement security by automatically enrolling workers in portable retirement accounts and providing additional incentives for Americans to save.
Put the cost of college in reach by providing a $4,000 refundable tax credit available at the time of enrollment, and create a Community College Partnership Program to strengthen this vital resource for American students.

Obama’s plan to help working families reclaim the American dream can be viewed in full here.



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2007