President Obama responds to unemployment emergency

I faxed President Obama a letter asking him to declare an emergency on black unemployment. Here is the message I received from him.

The White House, Washington
August 3, 2011

Dear Friend:

Thank you for writing. I have heard from many Americans who are losing their jobs and struggling to pay their bills. Every day, I meet with my economic advisors to make sure we are doing all we can to create good jobs and to help Americans support their families and pursue the American dream.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was the first step to spur job growth and ease the pain of unemployment. This landmark law has saved or created millions of jobs here at home in industries such as alternative energy, health care, and construction. By extending and increasing emergency unemployment compensation and increasing access to health insurance, my Administration has also provided relief to millions of unemployed Americans, and has helped improve our Nation's economic outlook. Additionally, I signed legislation that will help small businesses -- the engine of growth on Main Streets across our country -- thrive, grow, and hire by providing them with tax breaks and better access to credit.

However, many Americans are still struggling to find employment and provide for their families. To assist workers looking for jobs, I signed into law the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act, extending unemployment benefits beyond what existed in the Recovery Act. To restore desperately needed assistance to Americans who lost their jobs in the recession, I also signed into law the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2010, as well as an extension of COBRA benefits.

My Administration is also helping Americans return to work by emphasizing job training in industries that cannot be outsourced. Recently laid-off workers receiving unemployment benefits have new opportunities to pursue higher education and job training programs, including easier access to Pell Grants. To encourage job creation in the United States, I am replacing tax laws that send jobs overseas with new incentives to create them here at home. Available assistance can be found online at http://go.usa.gov/aU7 or www.Opportunity.gov.

Together, we can help more Americans find and keep good jobs and enjoy a healthy standard of living. To find an employment center near you, select your state at: www.dol.gov/dol/location.htm. For information on benefits and opportunities for those seeking employment, I encourage you to visit: http://go.usa.gov/aUA. For career resources, call 1-877-872-5627 or visit: www.CareerOneStop.org. While it will take time to turn our economy around, I am confident that, working together, we will emerge from this crisis stronger than before.

Thank you, again, for writing.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama