Obama: Entitlements Are 'Necessities of a 21st Century Economy,' 'Realities of How People Live'

Craig Bannister | June 15, 2016
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Entitlements are “the realities of how people live now” and “necessities of a 21st century economy,” so "we've got to retool our system," Pres. Obama declared Tuesday.

Speaking at the White House Summit on the United State of Women, Obama said America has “got to retool our system,” because guaranteed benefits are a vital and immutable way of life:

“If we’re truly a nation of family values, we wouldn’t put up with the fact that many women can’t even get a paid day off to give birth.  (Applause.)  We should guarantee paid maternity leave and paid paternity leave, too.  That’s how you value families.  (Applause.)  That’s how employers retain great workers.  And it’s good for women -- because when childcare falls disproportionately on mothers, as it often does, it makes it that much harder to advance in their careers.  

“So we’ve got to retool our system so that modern families and modern businesses can thrive. 

“And let me be clear, this is not about big government, or expanding some fictional welfare-and-food-stamp state, the 47 percent mooching off the government.  It is accounting for the realities of how people live now, today -- the necessities of a 21st century economy.”

 

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