Statement by CWA President Larry Cohen on President Obama's remarks

Washington, D.C. – Following is a statement by President Larry Cohen, Communications Workers of America, on President Obama’s remarks today.

“Voters made a clear choice on Election Day. They rejected the politics of division and fear and, as the President said today, voted for action and a real focus on good jobs.

There’s no question that we face an enormous challenge that must be resolved in the next few months. The solutions to our budget dilemma can’t be the burden of working and middle class families alone. We are ready to work together, but we will not endure program cuts that hurt working families, and tax cuts for the wealthiest, who, under the so-called “grand bargain” some are calling for, still won’t be contributing their fair share.

The President stayed true to the message that he carried throughout the campaign, that there will be compromise but also that the wealthiest Americans must be asked to pay a little more in taxes. In calling on Congress to immediately extend existing tax rates for 98 percent of taxpayers, the President is keeping his commitment to restore the middle class and improve the lives of working families.

The Communications Workers of America is committed to moving forward on the President’s plan for jobs and growth, to support efforts that will create and keep good jobs in the U.S., safeguard the programs that millions of American families rely on, like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid, and restore a decent standard of living for millions of American workers."

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Contact: Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org