Deficits/Fiscal Reform

SHOT: In An Interview Aired This Morning, Obama Promises That The Deficit Would Be His “First Order Of Business” In A Second Term.

“Obama Says ‘First Order Of Business’ In Second Term Would Be Deficit.” “President Obama in a second interview has highlighted deficit reduction and immigration reform as issues he’d tackle in a second term. In an interview with MSNBC’s Mika Brezezinski and Joe Scarborough, Obama said the ‘first order of business’ would be deficit reduction, and that his administration would also focus on immigration. … ‘Well, there’s no doubt that our first order of business is going to be to get our deficits and debt under control,’ Obama said in the interview, released Monday.” (Daniel Strauss, “Obama Says ‘First Order Of Business’ In Second Term Would Be Deficit,” The Hill , 10/29/12)

CHASER: Obama Promised That He Would “Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of [His] First Term” And Accomplish Entitlement Reform “In My First Term As President.”

In February 2009, Obama Said That He Would “Cut The Deficit In Half By The End Of [His] First Term In Office.” OBAMA: “Yesterday, I held a fiscal summit where I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office.” (President Obama, Address to Joint Session of Congress , 2/24/09)

Then-Sen. Obama Said During The Presidential Debates That Entitlement Reform Was Something That He Would Like To Do In His First Term. NBC’S TOM BROKAW: “Would you give Congress a date certain to reform Social Security and Medicare within two years after you take office? Because in a bipartisan way, everyone agrees, that’s a big ticking time bomb that will eat us up maybe even more than the mortgage crisis.” SEN. BARACK OBAMA: “Well, Tom, we’re going to have to take on entitlements and I think we’ve got to do it quickly. We’re going to have a lot of work to do, so I can’t guarantee that we’re going to do it in the next two years, but I’d like to do in my first term as president.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At Presidential Debate, Nashville, TN, 10/7/08)

Immigration Reform:

SHOT: In An Interview Aired This Morning, Obama Promises To Make Immigration Reform A Top Priority In His Second Term.

Obama Says He’ll Focus On Immigration Reform In A Second Term. “President Obama in a second interview has highlighted deficit reduction and immigration reform as issues he’d tackle in a second term. … After deficit reduction, Obama said immigration reform would likely be something his administration would focus on. He said that reducing the deficit during the lame-duck session of Congress, ‘clears away a lot of the ideological underbrush’ to focus on other issues like in immigration, infrastructure, and education. ‘So I think there are ways that we can do this in a creative way. But if we get that piece done, then immigration reform I think is there to get done,’ Obama said.” (Daniel Strauss, “Obama Says ‘First Order Of Business’ In Second Term Would Be Deficit,” The Hill , 10/29/12)

CHASER: In 2008, Obama Promised To Make Immigration Reform “A Top Priority In My First Year As President.”

Then-Sen. Obama Promised To Make Immigration Reform A Priority In His First Year As President. OBAMA: “I marched with you in the streets of Chicago to meet our immigration challenge. I fought with you in the Senate for comprehensive immigration reform. And I will make it a top priority in my first year as President-not only because we have an obligation to secure our borders and get control of who comes in and out of our country. And not only because we have to crack down on employers who are abusing undocumented immigrants instead of hiring citizens. But because we have to finally bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows. Yes, they broke the law. And they should have to pay a fine, and learn English, and go to the back of the line. That’s how we’ll put them on a pathway to citizenship.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks Before The League of United Latin American Citizens, Washington, D.C., 7/8/08)

During The Campaign, Obama Said He Would Make Immigration A “Top Priority.”

OBAMA: “And I will make it a top priority in my first year as President-not just because we need to secure our borders and get control of who comes into our country. And not just because we have to crack down on employers abusing undocumented immigrants. But because we have to finally bring those 12 million people out of the shadows.” (Sen. Barack Obama,Remarks At National Council Of La Raza, San Diego, CA, 7/13/08)