Here's live video of President Obama's statement following Senate passage of the debt limit deal:
9:45 AM PT: You can also watch at the
White House.
(Edit: And C-SPAN.)
9:49 AM PT: Kirsten Gillebrand was another no vote on the Democratic side.
9:54 AM PT: Markets are down today by a bit over 1%. Why? Consumer spending down, a reminder that Washington is focused on the wrong thing; instead of focusing on deficit reduction, it should focus on jobs and economic growth.
10:08 AM PT: President Obama starts off by praising Congress for averting a disaster of default. Of course, that's like praising someone for not stabbing themself in the eye with an ice pick.
10:12 AM PT: President Obama says he'll fight for the balance in the "next phase" of the debt limit deal. And also new jobs. Says the debt limit crisis was manufactured, and contributed to our economic challenges. Says he wants to focus on jobs, citing unemployment insurance, patent reform, trade deals, and creating an infrastructure bank. "We have workers that need jobs and a country that needs rebuilding."
10:16 AM PT: President Obama concludes by saying past few days shows Congress can act when "there's a timer ticking down and a looming disaster" but it shouldn't take "the risk of catastrophe" to get something done. Of course, this theory sidesteps the fact that Congress created the risk of catastrophe that it then avoided. And the people who created the risk got what they wanted.