Obama calls for new economic stimulus

Promising to create 2.5 million new jobs in his first two years in office, President-elect Barack Obama called for a new economic stimulus plan during his weekly address on Saturday.

After a week of shocks in the economy, some investors on Wall Street have been looking for a sign from the incoming president about his future plans, and the stock market rallied on Friday after word leaked out that Obama had chosen New York Federal Reserve Board president Tim Geithner to be his Treasury Secretary.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose nearly 500 points Friday afternoon after NBC and several other news outlets reported Geithner's pending nomination, even though the Obama transition team did not publicly confirm the story. The president-elect did not mention Geithner or any other appointments in his weekly address on Saturday.

"The news this week has only reinforced the fact that we are facing an economic crisis of historic proportions," Obama said in his radio and video address. Although he warned "there are no quick or easy fixes to this crisis," he disclosed that he had directed his economic team "to come up with an Economic Recovery Plan that will mean 2.5 million more jobs by January of 2011."

The president-elect did not reveal the details of the plan, but analysts are expecting a significant infrastructure stimulus package, and Obama himself said the plan would involve "rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels."

Good morning.

The news this week has only reinforced the fact that we are facing an economic crisis of historic proportions. Financial markets faced more turmoil. New home purchases in October were the lowest in half a century. Five-hundred-forty-thousand more jobless claims were filed last week, the highest in 18 years. And we now risk falling into a deflationary spiral that could increase our massive debt even further.

While I'm pleased that Congress passed a long-overdue extension of unemployment benefits this week, we must do more to put people back to work and get our economy moving again. We have now lost 1.2 million jobs this year, and if we don't act swiftly and boldly, most experts now believe that we could lose millions of jobs next year.

There are no quick or easy fixes to this crisis, which has been many years in the making, and it's likely to get worse before it gets better. But January 20th is our chance to begin anew -- with a new direction, new ideas, and new reforms that will create jobs and fuel long-term economic growth.

I have already directed my economic team to come up with an Economic Recovery Plan that will mean 2.5 million more jobs by January of 2011 -- a plan big enough to meet the challenges we face that I intend to sign soon after taking office. We'll be working out the details in the weeks ahead, but it will be a two-year, nationwide effort to jumpstart job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy. We'll put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, modernizing schools that are failing our children, and building wind farms and solar panels; fuel-efficient cars and the alternative energy technologies that can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and keep our economy competitive in the years ahead.

These aren't just steps to pull ourselves out of this immediate crisis; these are the long-term investments in our economic future that have been ignored for far too long. And they represent an early down payment on the type of reform my administration will bring to Washington -- a government that spends wisely, focuses on what works, and puts the public interest ahead of the same special interests that have come to dominate our politics.

I know that passing this plan won't be easy. I will need and seek support from Republicans and Democrats, and I'll be welcome to ideas and suggestions from both sides of the aisle.

But what is not negotiable is the need for immediate action. Right now, there are millions of mothers and fathers who are lying awake at night wondering if next week's paycheck will cover next month's bills. There are Americans showing up to work in the morning only to have cleared out their desks by the afternoon. Retirees are watching their life savings disappear and students are seeing their college dreams deferred. These Americans need help, and they need it now.

The survival of the American Dream for over two centuries is not only a testament to its enduring power, but to the great effort, sacrifice, and courage of the American people. It has thrived because in our darkest hours, we have risen above the smallness of our divisions to forge a path towards a new and brighter day. We have acted boldly, bravely, and above all, together. That is the chance our new beginning now offers us, and that is the challenge we must rise to in the days to come. It is time to act. As the next president of the United States, I will. Thank you.