Obama: Best Education is Economic Imperative for US Children

VOA News

U.S. President Barack Obama says giving U.S. children the best education possible is an "economic imperative."

President Barack Obama says one area he will not compromise with Republicans is spending on education. Republicans have been calling for drastically reduced government spending as they campaign for Congressional elections next month, but Mr. Obama says he intends to ensure Americans have access to quality education.

In his weekly address, President Obama stressed that even during times of fiscal restraint, education should not be short changed. "At a time when most of the new jobs being created will require some kind of higher education, when countries that out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow, giving our kids the best education is an economic imperative," he said.

Earlier during the week, the president introduced a public-private initiative to match up college students with businesses with job openings.

Saturday, he said Republican proposals to cut spending on education would make it very difficult to increase the number of college graduates. "Because they would have us cut education by 20 percent, cuts that would reduce financial aid for eight million students," he said.

In the Republican party's weekly message, Senator John Barrasso from Wyoming focused on Mr. Obama's broken promises to reduce persistently high unemployment.

He also promoted the Republican plan for low taxes and reduced federal spending.

Senator Barrasso said rather than experiencing a recovery, Americans are in a state of alarm. "The President promised to be financially responsible with your tax dollars. Yet our federal government continues down a ruinous path of outrageous spending, borrowing and piling more and more debt on future generations," he said.

The Republican senator said his party will fight for a drastic change in economic direction. Republicans hope voters going to the polls on November 2 will put them in control of Congress, now dominated by Mr. Obama's Democratic party.