Uh…Thanks, Mr. President…But How Does This Explain EB-5 I-526 Backlog???

Dear Jose:

Thank you for writing.  Each day, I hear from Americans who are unemployed, underemployed, or struggling to find a job that pays a living wage.  I am committed to restoring the basic bargain at the heart of the American dream—the idea that if you are willing to work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead.

To realize this goal, we must reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth—a rising, thriving middle class.  We must build ladders of opportunity for everyone willing to climb them.  And we must forge an economy that works for all Americans—where everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share, and plays by the same rules.  To learn more about my Administration’s efforts to grow an economy that creates good, middle-class jobs, I encourage you to visitwww.WhiteHouse.gov/economy.

My first priority is making America a magnet for new jobs and manufacturing.  After years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs in the past 3 years, including 500,000 manufacturing jobs.  We are making historic progress toward our goal of doubling American exports by the end of 2014.  To accelerate this trend, I have proposed reforms that reward companies for bringing jobs home while eliminating tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas.  My Administration is also investing in the cutting-edge technologies that will make America home to the next revolution in manufacturing.  Last year, we created our first manufacturing innovation institute in Youngstown, Ohio, transforming a once-shuttered warehouse into a state-of-the-art lab where workers are mastering 3D printing.  Building on its success, we are launching three new manufacturing hubs where we will partner with businesses to turn regions left behind by globalization into global centers of high-tech jobs.  And I have called on Congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs to accelerate the resurgence of American manufacturing.

We need to reach for a new era in American energy, with an economy fueled by homegrown and alternative energy sources designed and produced by American workers.  We are taking every possible action to safely develop a massive, newly accessible supply of natural gas in the United States that will last nearly 100 years and support hundreds of thousands of jobs.  We have doubled the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar, creating tens of thousands of good American jobs in the process.  I have also set a goal to double renewable electricity production again by 2020 to build on our momentum and create even more jobs.

An economy built to last also demands that we cultivate the skills of our students and workers so they remain the best in the world.  Employers today are looking for skilled, educated workers, and we have a responsibility to provide our workforce with the tools to prepare for the jobs of today and to compete for the jobs of tomorrow.  We have made a national commitment to train 2 million workers for good-paying jobs in high-growth and high-demand industries, and my Administration is helping community colleges redesign training programs to become community career centers.

As our troops return home, we need to ensure they can find jobs to put their unparalleled skills and experiences to use.  My Administration has helped over 950,000 veterans and their family members go back to school on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, hired over 200,000 veterans into jobs with the Federal Government, made it easier for veterans to access employment services, and set up online tools to connect veterans with job openings that match their skills.  We have also proposed an expansion of entrepreneurship training opportunities for separating service members and veterans.  America’s businesses have accepted a challenge proposed by First Lady Michelle Obama’s and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative to hire 175,000 veterans and military spouses, and we have put in place 2 new tax credits for companies that hire veterans.  Supporting our troops and helping veterans find work is good for our communities, good for our economy, and good for our country.  To explore the many programs in place to help fight veteran unemployment, visit www.JoiningForces.gov.

To create true, broad-based prosperity, it is not enough to make new jobs available; we must attach those jobs to decent wages that can support a family.  Because no one who works full time should live in poverty, I proposed raising the minimum wage to 9 dollars an hour and tying it to the cost of living, so that it finally becomes a wage hard-working families can live on.  For millions of working families this simple step could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank, and for businesses across the country it would mean customers with more money in their pockets.

While we still have a long way to go, our economy is continuing to recover after the worst downturn since the Great Depression.  We buy more American cars than we have in 5 years and less foreign oil than we have in 20.  From passing the Recovery Act to saving the American auto industry, my Administration has laid a solid foundation for growth.  Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, but much work remains.  It will take time to fully repair the damage, but I am confident our Nation will emerge from this challenge as we always have—stronger than ever before.

To find comprehensive tools and training resources for your job search, please visitJobCenter.USA.gov.  You can also locate an employment center near you by selecting your state at www.DOL.gov/DOL/Location.htm.  For available assistance with education and job training, please visit www.Opportunity.gov.  For career resources, call 1-877-872-5627 or visitwww.CareerOneStop.org.  For more information on jobs, health benefits, housing assistance, and other public resources, call 1-800-FEDINFO or visit www.USA.gov.

Thank you, again, for writing.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama