Pres. Obama urged the business leaders gathered in Washington this morning to do their part to strengthen the economy by investing and adding more workers. Speaking as special guest speaker for the 2011 Annual Chamber of Commerce in Washington, the President said "businesses also have a responsibility to America," and added, "ask yourselves what you can do for America?"
The Chamber has been a vocal critic of Obama and today the President acknowledged the tensions, telling members of Washington's most powerful business lobby that "we've had some pretty strong disagreements." But he also sought common ground, noting that the Chamber supported the 2009 Recovery Act. "I'm here today because I'm convinced we can and must work together," Obama said, before laying out exactly what he plans to do to help American businesses compete on the global stage.
Picking up on the themes expressed in his State of the Union Address, President Obama also reaffirmed his commitment to invest in rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. He identified innovation, education, and infrastructure as the keys to stimulate the economy by increasing job growth and entrepreneurial opportunities.