We’re seeing steady growth, we’ve seen enormous job creation over this period of time, we’re seeing the unemployment rate around 5% and we’re seeing that growth, in spite of the fact that there’s a lot of headwinds from a slower global economy,” Lew said, adding that the United States is “well positioned” as the year comes to a close.
“I think if you look at where we ended the year, we have a good, stable platform for growth, more clarity in the tax code, more investment in infrastructure, we’ve reversed the kind of downward pressure, the drag coming from, you know, sequestration by having sensible cuts that are being used to restore that spending that we need to invest in education and other things for the future.”
Indeed,
8.7 million jobs have been added under President Obama in a 60+ month streak of positive job growth numbers. And while Republicans refuse to raise the minimum wage nationally, many states have done so themselves. In addition, President Obama is also
on track to wipe out the $1.4 trillion deficitthat Bush saddled him with, but which Republicans often complain about and blame him for.
Lew also had a message for Americans who are worried about Social Security, the social safety net program that Republicans have been trying to undermine for decades. “People shouldn’t panic,” he said.