Transcript for Blueprint for Change: Economy

I am announcing a two-part emergency plan

to help struggling families make ends meet.

The first part of my plan

is a $1,000 emergency energy rebate

that would go out to families this fall

to cover rising prices not only in gas but also in home fuel.

Now the second part of my plan is 50 billion dollars in stimulus

to help jump start job creation

and help local communities that are struggling due to our economic downturn.

If you make $250,000 per year or less,

we will not raise your taxes.

We will cut your taxes.

In fact... my plan provides three times the amount tax relief

to middle class families than John McCain does.

So I am happy to have a debate about taxes with John McCain.

I already proposed, that we are going to invest 15 billion dollars a year…

…15 billion dollars a year

in new green technologies that can create

up to five million jobs a year,

rebuilding our economy with clean energy

solar, wind and bio-diesel.

We’ll put young people back to work

insulating homes,

we are going to create the new cars of the future...

the plug in hybrids that get 100 miles a gallon,

and we are going to make them right here

in the United States of America.

As president I’ll get though on enforcement

and raise penalties on lenders who have broken the rules.

For homeowners facing foreclosure

through no fault of their own,

we’ll create a fund and reform bankruptcy laws to give them a shot at avoiding foreclosure.

We’ll mandate that prospective homebuyers

have access to accurate, complete information

about their mortgage options.

And we’ll give middle class homeowners added relief

by providing a tax credit that covers 10 percent

of families mortgage interest payments every year.

That’s the change that America’s homeowners need right now,

and our entire economy can use it as well.

Half of all personal bankruptcies

arise because somebody has a serious illness.

That will change when I am president.

If you can demonstrate that you went bankrupt

because of medical expenses,

under my plan you will be able to relieve that debt

and get back on your feet.

It’s also time to let our unions do what they do best,

which is organize workers.

If the majority of workers want a union,

they should get a union, it’s that simple.

We need to stand up to the business lobby

that has been resisting it and go ahead and pass

the Employee Free Choice Act.

That’s why I’ve been fighting for it in the Senate,

and I’ll make it the law of the land

when I’m president of the United States of America.

It’s because of this long standing commitment to working families

that I will not sign any trade agreement as president

that does not have protections for our environment,

and protections for American workers.

And I intend to pass the Patriot Employer Act

that I have been fighting for ever since I ran for the Senate

so that we can end tax breaks for companies

that ship jobs overseas

and give those tax breaks to companies

that create good jobs, with decent wages

right here in the United States of America.

I will double spending on quality after-school programs

so that you can know that your children are safe and secure.

And that’s why I’ll expand the Family Medical Leave Act

to include more businesses and millions more workers

to let parents participate in school activities with their kids…

and to cover elderly care.

And we’ll finally put federal support behind state efforts

to provide paid medical and family leave.

We will require employers

to provide seven paid sick days each year.

We’ll enforce laws that prohibit caregiver discrimination,

and we’ll include flexible work schedules

to better balance work and parenting for mothers and fathers.

That’s a change that working families need all across America.