Washington - United States President Barack Obama on Wednesday picked September 7 to unveil new jobs proposals in a speech to Congress, but the top Republican lawmaker objected to the date, adding more political theatre to a back-and-forth over the economy.
Republican presidential candidates are scheduled to hold a televised debate on the same evening at the same time.
In a letter to congressional leaders, Obama, a Democrat, asked for a joint session of the House of Representatives and Senate at 8pm EDT on September 7 to lay out his plan to create jobs and boost economic growth while reducing the US deficit.
From a political perspective, the day did not appear to be chosen at random, but the White House called the timing a coincidence.
Coincidence or not, John Boehner, the Republican House Speaker, sent Obama a reply, suggesting he move his address back by a day to Thursday, September 8, citing the amount of time needed for security sweeps to allow the president to speak at the capitol.
The House and the Democratic-controlled Senate must pass a joint resolution to provide for Congress to assemble for Obama's remarks. Lawmakers get back to work in Washington on September 7 after their summer recess and start votes at 6.30pm EDT.
“It is my recommendation that your address be held on the following evening, when we can ensure there will be no parliamentary or logistical impediments that might detract from your remarks,” Boehner wrote, saying he spoke on behalf of the leadership of both parties in both chambers of Congress.
An aide to Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi said she had not been consulted.
The speaker's staff raised no objection to the time and date when the White House ran it by them on Wednesday morning, a White House official said. Brendan Buck, a Boehner spokesman, said his office never signed off on the original date.
Obama said in his letter he would use the address to lay out proposals that members of both parties could support.
“As I have travelled across our country this summer and spoken with our fellow Americans, I have heard a consistent message: Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties in order to grow the economy and create jobs,” Obama said in the letter.
“We must answer this call.”
By seeking a joint session of Congress, much like the president's annual televised State of the Union address, Obama sought a sweeping platform in his opening bid to get support from Democrats and Republicans for his proposals.
But the original timing - on the same night as his Republican rivals debate how to oust him from the White House - would have given Obama an opportunity to upstage the other party at the same time that he was seeking its support.
Television networks not airing the Republican debate at the Reagan library in California would likely broadcast Obama's address to Congress. White House spokesperson Jay Carney noted that Republicans might enjoy the prospect of responding to the president's plan.
“It is our responsibility to find bipartisan solutions to help grow our economy, and if we are willing to put country before party, I am confident we can do just that,” Obama said in his letter.
He said he would lay out a series of steps that Congress could act on immediately to strengthen small businesses and put “more money in the paychecks of the middle class and working Americans” while reducing the deficit.
A glimmer of good economic news came on Wednesday. Data showed factory activity in the US Midwest slowed slightly in August and private employers continued to hire despite extreme financial market turmoil, easing fears the economy would fall back into recession.
Carney said Obama's speech would focus primarily on jobs, with detailed proposals on deficit reduction coming later.
The proposals could include programmes to fund infrastructure building, measures to help struggling homeowners, and tax breaks to encourage hiring of new workers.
Business lobby group the US Chamber of Commerce said it was sceptical about a payroll tax holiday to subsidise companies that hire workers.
“Companies don't invest and hire people just because they have more cash,” said Martin Regalia, the group's chief economist. “They hire people when they can put those people to work producing a product or a service that they can sell at a profit. That's what they do. And right now the economy isn't presenting that opportunity.” - Reuters