Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 / Oct. 16 I said that we would put in place health care sure your kids can go to college, make sure that reform to make sure that insurance companies you are getting a good-paying job, making sure can’t jerk you around and if you don’t have that Medicare and Social Security will be there health insurance, that you’d have a chance to for you? get affordable insurance, and I have. Ms. Crowley. Mr. President, thank you. I committed that I would rein in the excess- Governor. es of Wall Street, and we passed the toughest Wall Street reforms since the 1930s. National Economy/Unemployment Rate We’ve created 5 million jobs—gone from 800,000 jobs a month being lost—and we are Gov. Romney. I think you know better. I making progress. We saved an auto industry think you know that these last 4 years haven’t that was on the brink of collapse. been so good as the President just described and that you don’t feel like you’re confident Now, does that mean you’re not struggling? that the next 4 years are going to be much bet- Absolutely not. A lot of us are. And that’s why ter either. I can tell you that if you were to the plan that I’ve put forward for manufactur- elect President Obama, you know what you’re ing and education and reducing our deficit in a going to get. You’re going to get a repeat of the sensible way, using the savings from ending last 4 years. We just can’t afford 4 more years wars to rebuild America and putting people like the last 4 years. back to work, making sure that we are control- He said that by now we’d have unemploy- ling our own energy, but not just the energy of ment at 5.4 percent. The difference between today, but also the energy of the future—all where it is and 5.4 percent is 9 million Ameri- those things will make a difference. cans without work. I wasn’t the one that said So the point is, the commitments I’ve made, 5.4 percent. This was the President’s plan; I’ve kept. And those that I haven’t been able to didn’t get there. keep, it’s not for lack of trying, and we’re going He said he would have by now put forward a to get it done in a second term. But you should plan to reform Medicare and Social Security, pay attention to this campaign, because Gover- because he pointed out they’re on the road to nor Romney has made some commitments as bankruptcy. He would reform them. He’d get well, and I suspect he’ll keep those too. When that done. He hasn’t even made a proposal on Members of the Republican Congress say, either one. He said in his first year he’d put out we’re going to sign a no-tax pledge so that we an immigration plan that would deal with our don’t ask a dime from millionaires and billion- immigration challenges; didn’t even file it. aires to reduce our deficit so we can still invest This is a President who has not been able to in education and helping kids go to college, he do what he said he’d do. He said that he’d cut said, me too. in half the deficit. He hasn’t done that either; When they said, we’re going to cut Planned in fact, he doubled it. He said that by now mid- Parenthood funding, he said, me too. When dle income families would have a reduction in they said, we’re going to repeal Obamacare— their health insurance premiums by $2,500 a the first thing I’m going to do, despite the fact year. It’s gone up by 2,500 a year. And if that it’s the same health care plan that he Obamacare is passed—or implemented, it’s al- passed in Massachusetts and is working well— ready been passed—if it’s implemented fully, it he said, me too. will be another 2,500 on top. That is not the kind of leadership that you The middle class is getting crushed under need, but you should expect that those are the policies of a President who has not under- promises he’s going to keep. stood what it takes to get the economy working Ms. Crowley. Mr. President, let me let—— again. He keeps saying, look, I’ve created 5 The President. And the choice in this elec- million jobs. That’s after losing 5 million jobs. tion is going to be, whose promises are going to The entire record is such that the unemploy- be more likely to help you in your life, make ment has not been reduced in this country. 1573 Oct. 16 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 The unemployment, the number of people question for you about a topic we have not who are still looking for work, is still 23 million heard. Americans. There are more people in poverty: The President. This is for Governor Rom- one out of six people in poverty. ney? How about food stamps? When he took of- Ms. Crowley. Yes, this is for Governor Rom- fice, 32 million people were on food stamps. ney, and we’ll be right with you, Mr. President. Today, 47 million people are on food stamps. Thanks. How about the growth of the economy? It’s Gov. Romney. Is it Lorena? growing more slowly this year than last year Q. Lorraine. and more slowly last year than the year before. Gov. Romney. Lorraine. The President wants to do well, I under- Q. Lorraine. Yes. How are you doing? Presi- dent. stand. But the policies he’s put in place, from Gov. Romney. Good, thanks. Obamacare to Dodd-Frank to his tax policies to his regulatory policies, these policies com- Immigration Reform/Illegal Immigration bined have not let this economy take off and grow like it could have. You might say, well, Q. President. Romney: What do you plan on you got an example of when it worked better? doing with immigrants without their green Yes. In the Reagan recession, where unem- card that are currently living here as produc- ployment hit 10.8 percent, between that peri- tive members of society? od—the end of that recession and the equiva- Gov. Romney. Thank you, Lorraine. Did I lent period of time to today, Ronald Reagan’s get that right? Good. Thank you for question. recovery created twice as many jobs as this And let me step back and tell you what I’d like President’s recovery. to do with our immigration policy broadly and Five million jobs doesn’t even keep up with include an answer to your question. our population growth. And the only reason First of all, this is a nation of immigrants. the unemployment rate seems a little lower to- We welcome people coming to this country as day is because of all the people that have immigrants. My dad was born in Mexico of dropped out of the workforce. American parents; Ann’s dad was born in The President has tried, but his policies ha- Wales and is a first-generation American. We ven’t worked. He’s great as a speaker and de- welcome legal immigrants into this country. scribing his plans and his vision. That’s won- I want our legal system to work better. I derful, except we have a record to look at. And want it to be streamlined. I want it to be clear- er. I don’t think you have to—shouldn’t have to that record shows, he just hasn’t been able to hire a lawyer to figure out how to get into this cut the deficit, to put in place reforms for country legally. I also think that we should give Medicare and Social Security to preserve visas to people—green cards, rather, to people them, to get us the rising incomes we need. who graduate with skills that we need. People Median incomes down $4,300 a family and 23 around the world with accredited degrees in million Americans out of work, that’s what this science and math, get a green card stapled to election is about. It’s about who can get the their diploma; come to the U.S. of A. We middle class in this country a bright and pros- should make sure that our legal system works. perous future and assure our kids the kind of Number two, we’re going to have to stop il- hope and optimism they deserve. legal immigration. There are 4 million people Ms. Crowley. Governor, I want to move you who are waiting in line to get here legally. along. Don’t go away, and we’ll have plenty of Those who’ve come here illegally take their time to respond. We are quite aware of the place. So I will not grant amnesty to those clock for both of you. But I want to bring in a who’ve come here illegally. What I will do is, different subject here. Mr. President, I’ll be I’ll put in place an employment verification right back with you. Lorraine Osario has a system and make sure that employers that hire 1574 Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 / Oct. 16 people who have come here illegally are sanc- nesses.