After the jump...
Here are some post-speech talking points from the White House:
Post Joint Session Speech Talking Points
* Tonight, the President laid out his comprehensive approach to addressing the interrelated economic and fiscal crises facing the nation - an approach that will put an end to the era of profound irresponsibility that has brought us to where we are today.
* Calling for a New Era of Responsibility, the President assured the country that even with its economy weakened and confidence shaken, America will rebuild, recover and emerge stronger than before.
* The President committed to being honest about the difficulties ahead and challenged Congress and the American people to pull together, confront boldly the problems we face and take responsibility for our future once more.
* The President outlined his comprehensive plan to revive our economy and build a new foundation for lasting prosperity. Each component of this plan is dependent on the next and none of them can stand alone. Specifically, the President has signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saving or creating 3.5 million new jobs over the next two years; proposed a Financial Stability Plan to restore the flow of credit to families and businesses; introduced the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan to help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure and proposed critical financial regulatory reforms.
* The only way to restore America's economic strength is to make long-term investments in energy, health care and education that will lead to new jobs, new industries and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world.
* The President's budget will be a blueprint for our future, addressing the challenges we have ignored for far too long by making key investments in energy, health care and education critical to our economic future.
* While investments must be made to restore our economy, we can no longer avoid addressing the fiscal challenges we face. Being responsible means making tough choices to bring our deficit down, spending wisely and making sure that no corner of the budget escapes reform.
* That's why the President has committed to: cutting the deficit in half by the end of his first term; honest budgeting that shows the true costs of our programs and policies and does not rely on gimmicks to hide or mask deficits; bringing responsibility back to budgeting by paying for new programs as we go (PAYGO); conducting a line by line review to eliminate wasteful and ineffective programs; and restoring a sense of fairness and balance to our tax code by finally ending the tax breaks for corporations that ship our jobs overseas.
* By finally addressing our fiscal and economic crises and laying the foundation for long-term growth, we will prove that even in the most trying times and amidst the most difficult circumstances, America's determination, resilience and willingness to take responsibility for its future perseveres.
