1 00:00:09,909 --> 00:00:11,544 The President: Hello, everybody.

2 00:00:11,544 --> 00:00:12,912 I hope most of you are gearing up for a long

3 00:00:12,912 --> 00:00:15,382 weekend with family and friends - maybe some

4 00:00:15,382 --> 00:00:18,985 barbeques, road trips, or fantasy drafts.

5 00:00:18,985 --> 00:00:21,154 But I wanted to take a moment to talk to you about

6 00:00:21,154 --> 00:00:24,090 the real meaning of Labor Day - a day we set aside

7 00:00:24,090 --> 00:00:27,093 every year to honor the hardworking men and women

8 00:00:27,093 --> 00:00:30,063 who fought for so many of the rights that we take for

9 00:00:30,063 --> 00:00:31,663 granted today.

10 00:00:31,664 --> 00:00:37,137 The eight-hour workday, 40-hour workweek, weekends.

11 00:00:37,137 --> 00:00:39,939 Overtime and the minimum wage.

12 00:00:39,939 --> 00:00:41,941 Safer workplaces.

13 00:00:41,941 --> 00:00:45,378 Health insurance, Social Security, Medicare, and

14 00:00:45,378 --> 00:00:47,781 retirement plans.

15 00:00:47,781 --> 00:00:51,150 All of those gains were fought for and won by the

16 00:00:51,151 --> 00:00:54,587 labor movement - folks who were working not just for a

17 00:00:54,587 --> 00:00:57,323 bigger paycheck for themselves, but for more

18 00:00:57,323 --> 00:01:00,093 security and prosperity for the folks working next to

19 00:01:00,093 --> 00:01:01,761 them as well.

20 00:01:01,761 --> 00:01:05,331 That's how we built the great American middle class.

21 00:01:05,331 --> 00:01:07,667 That's the spirit we've been working to restore these

22 00:01:07,667 --> 00:01:09,736 past six and a half years.

23 00:01:09,736 --> 00:01:12,605 On Friday, we found out that the economy created another

24 00:01:12,605 --> 00:01:15,208 173,000 jobs in August.

25 00:01:15,208 --> 00:01:18,077 Over the past five and a half years, our businesses

26 00:01:18,077 --> 00:01:21,014 have created 13.1 million new jobs in total - the

27 00:01:21,014 --> 00:01:24,250 longest streak of job creation on record.

28 00:01:24,250 --> 00:01:27,754 The unemployment rate dropped to 5.1%, the lowest

29 00:01:27,754 --> 00:01:30,457 it's been in seven years.

30 00:01:30,457 --> 00:01:32,658 The American auto industry is on track to sell more

31 00:01:32,659 --> 00:01:35,228 cars and trucks this year than it has in more than

32 00:01:35,228 --> 00:01:36,996 a decade.

33 00:01:36,996 --> 00:01:38,898 Sixteen million Americans have gained the security of

34 00:01:38,898 --> 00:01:40,098 health insurance.

35 00:01:40,099 --> 00:01:42,836 Seventeen states and about 30 cities and counties have

36 00:01:42,836 --> 00:01:45,804 raised the minimum wage.

37 00:01:45,805 --> 00:01:48,641 And we've proposed extending overtime protections to as

38 00:01:48,641 --> 00:01:51,311 many as five million Americans.

39 00:01:51,311 --> 00:01:53,847 All of that is progress.

40 00:01:53,847 --> 00:01:57,116 This month, Congress has an opportunity to continue

41 00:01:57,116 --> 00:01:59,886 that progress.

42 00:01:59,886 --> 00:02:01,387 As always, the deadline for Congress to pass a budget is

43 00:02:01,387 --> 00:02:03,289 the end of September.

44 00:02:03,289 --> 00:02:04,324 Every year.

45 00:02:04,324 --> 00:02:05,358 This is not new.

46 00:02:05,358 --> 00:02:07,894 And if they don't, they'll shut down the government for

47 00:02:07,894 --> 00:02:10,930 the second time in two years.

48 00:02:10,930 --> 00:02:13,533 At a time when the global economy faces headwinds and

49 00:02:13,533 --> 00:02:16,536 America's economy is a relative bright spot in the

50 00:02:16,536 --> 00:02:19,839 world, a shutdown of our government would be

51 00:02:19,839 --> 00:02:22,208 wildly irresponsible.

52 00:02:22,208 --> 00:02:25,512 It would be an unforced error that saps the momentum

53 00:02:25,512 --> 00:02:27,747 we've worked so hard to build.

54 00:02:27,747 --> 00:02:29,716 Plain and simple, a shutdown would hurt

55 00:02:29,716 --> 00:02:31,618 working Americans.

56 00:02:31,618 --> 00:02:34,153 It doesn't have to happen.

57 00:02:34,153 --> 00:02:36,856 If Congress wants to support working Americans and

58 00:02:36,856 --> 00:02:39,259 strengthen our middle class, they can pass a budget that

59 00:02:39,259 --> 00:02:44,297 invests in, not makes cuts to, the middle class.

60 00:02:44,297 --> 00:02:47,000 If they pass a budget with shortsighted sequester cuts

61 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,270 that harm our military and our economy, I'll veto it.

62 00:02:50,270 --> 00:02:52,805 If they make smart investments in our military

63 00:02:52,805 --> 00:02:55,441 readiness, our infrastructure, our schools,

64 00:02:55,441 --> 00:02:58,344 public health, and research, I'll sign that budget - and

65 00:02:58,344 --> 00:03:00,280 they know that.

66 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,515 So let's get it done.

67 00:03:02,515 --> 00:03:04,784 Our economy doesn't need another round of threats

68 00:03:04,784 --> 00:03:06,251 and brinksmanship.

69 00:03:06,252 --> 00:03:08,821 Nobody gets to play games with our economy - or the

70 00:03:08,821 --> 00:03:12,659 middle class I grew up in, and that you grew up in.

71 00:03:12,659 --> 00:03:15,295 So tell Congress to pass a budget that reflects the

72 00:03:15,295 --> 00:03:17,630 values we honor on Labor Day.

73 00:03:17,630 --> 00:03:19,232 Rewarding hard work.

74 00:03:19,232 --> 00:03:21,234 Giving everybody a fair shot.

75 00:03:21,234 --> 00:03:25,138 And working together to give all of our kids a better life.

76 00:03:25,138 --> 00:03:26,839 Thanks everybody.

77 00:03:26,839 --> 00:03:28,441 And enjoy your weekend.