It’s easy for pundits to get on TV, put their ratings ahead of their own sense of responsibility, and oversimplify what’s at stake. It can be difficult to break free from the partisanship that’s held sway in Washington for so many years.
But that is what we have to do. That is what this moment requires. For what all of you know deep down — and what folks in Washington sometimes forget — is that in the end, a budget is not merely numbers on a page or a laundry list of programs. It is about your lives, your families, and your dreams for the future. And you didn’t send us to Washington to stand in the way of aspirations. You didn’t send us there to say no to change — you sent us there to get things done.
And that is exactly what I intend to do. But I cannot do it without you, the American people. That’s why I’m here today — because it will take all of us talking with one another and all of us working together to see our nation through this difficult time and bring about a brighter day. So, thank you for this opportunity to speak with you, and now I’d like to open it up for questions.
(Source: White House)