COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 6 -- Faced with a deteriorating business climate and dogged Republican criticism of his measures to stem the decline, President Obama told 25 police recruits here whose layoffs were reversed by his stimulus plan that "bold action" is needed to revive the economy.
"This country has never responded to a crisis by sitting on the sidelines and hoping for the best," Obama said at a graduation ceremony for the recruits. "We have a responsibility to act, and that's what I intend to do."
The 25 recruits here were given layoff notices in late January after declining revenue caused the city to determine that it could not afford to hire them as police officers. But the jobs were salvaged by $1.25 million included in the $787 billion stimulus package enacted last month.
"There is no longer any doubt you will be employed as officers of the law when you leave here today," Obama said.
The president's appearance here came just hours after the Labor Department announced that the economy shed 651,000 jobs in February, the 14th consecutive month of job losses. The national unemployment rate is now 8.1 percent, the highest level in a quarter-century. In that time, the economy has lost 4.4 million jobs.
Even though the stimulus package is in place, the Obama administration is eager to showcase its impact as the plan has come under relentless attack from Republicans, who point to the package and Democratic budget priorities as examples of profligate government spending that does not focus tightly on job creation.
Vice President Biden today traveled to Miami to highlight $4 billion in law enforcement money included in the stimulus plan. That money will fund items including police overtime and crime lab improvements in police departments across the country.
Here in Ohio, the White House says the stimulus package will support or create 133,000 jobs in a state where unemployment has already reached 9.7 percent. Nationally, the Obama administration says the plan will save or create more than 3 million jobs.
The administration's effort to demonstrate the impact of the stimulus plan comes as GOP leaders have been sharpening their criticism of Obama's spending plans.
"It is through the prism of creating and protecting jobs that we must evaluate the administration's budget plan," said House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (Va.). "Sadly, as it stands, this budget does not adequately help working families, does not help small businesses and does not create jobs. Instead, it relies on overly rosy predictions for economic growth while spending money we do not have on questionable priorities and programs."
