Obama takes YouTube questions on federal budget
President Barack Obama fielded questions submitted by Internet users across the country about the national budget for 2011 in an interview posted to YouTube Monday afternoon.
This marks the first time a president has fielded questions from constituents about the federal budget on the day of its release. In the video, Steve Grove, YouTube's news and political director, asks the president questions that were submitted and selected by YouTube users following Obama’s State of the Union address last week.
The president took questions on health care, small businesses, the bailout of large banks and also talked about some ideas for improving the country. In his State of the Union speech, Obama had put more emphasis on creating jobs to cut the country’s 10 percent unemployment rate.
The president said he wants the House and Senate to pass a health care within the year and emphasized the benefits of passing such a bill, such as medical cost reduction and coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions.
He said the government is expanding loans to small businesses through the Small Business Administration and offering tax breaks so small businesses can expand. He also came back to health care on this point and said bringing down insurance costs would help business owners.
As for improving the country, Obama supported suggestions to offer people incentives for living healthy lives and also converting government offices to run on solar energy to save money. He opposed privatizing struggling government agencies, such as the Postal Service, saying business would focus on providing only the services that are profitable and not those that are necessary.