President Barack Obama delivered his weekly address on January 24, 2009 via radio and YouTube.
It was his first weekly address since the Inauguration.  See the video and recent photos from Obama’s first week in office.

In the address, the President reiterated previous addresses in which he has outlined his  American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan–commonly known as the economic stimulus package–asserting that despite its high cost it is essential to jump-start the economy as well as to provide for a long-term solution to the steadily worsening economic crisis.

He stressed that the plan is “not just a short-term program to boost employment.  It’s one that will invest in our most important priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century.”

President Barack Obama with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department, January 22, 2009

He also reiterated the need to rebuild the infrastructure and double the capacity to generate alternative energy sources, including wind, solar, and biofuels as well as the importance of making the existing structure more energy efficient.  Towards that end, he said, “We’ll begin to build a new electricity grid that lay down more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines to convey this new energy from coast to coast. We’ll save taxpayers $2 billion a year by making 75% of federal buildings more energy efficient, and save the average working family $350 on their energy bills by weatherizing 2.5 million homes.”

For the first time as president, Mr. Obama also met with the leaders of both parties in Congress, in keeping with his campaign promise of bipartisanship.’

Yet in a polite but pointed exchange with the No. 2 House Republican, Eric Cantor of Virginia, Mr. Obama took note of the parties’ fundamental differences on tax policy toward low-wage workers, and insisted that his view would prevail.

President Barack Obama meets with Congressional leaders regarding the economic stimulus plan on January 23, 2009

At issue is Mr. Obama’s proposal that his tax breaks for low- and middle-income workers, including his centerpiece “Making Work Pay” tax credit, be refundable — that is, that the benefits also go to workers who earn too little to pay income taxes but who pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. Republicans generally oppose giving such refunds to people who pay no income taxes.

“We just have a difference here, and I’m president,” Mr. Obama said to Mr. Cantor, according to Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, who was at the meeting.

Mr. Emanuel said that Mr. Obama was being lighthearted and that lawmakers of both parties had laughed.

Mr. Cantor, in an interview later, had a similar recollection. He said the president had told him, “You’re correct, there’s a philosophical difference, but I won, so we’re going to prevail on that.”

“He was very straightforward,” Mr. Cantor added. “There was no disrespect, but it was very matter-of-fact.”

Source: Obama Seeks to Broaden Support for Stimulus Plan See also: Obama pushes recovery plan

Acknowledging skepticism, Obama said his administration “will launch an unprecedented effort to root out waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary spending in our government, and every American will be able to see how and where we spend taxpayer dollars by going to a new website called recovery.gov.”

Here is the Weekly Address video.  More Obama pictures below.

YouTube Link

See also Weekly Address Transcript, January 24, 2009 via WhiteHouse.gov

President Barack Obama signs an executive order to close down Guantanamo Detention Center, January 22, 2009

Related posts:

• President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 1-17-09
•  President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 1-10-09
• President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 1-3-09
• President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 12-27-08
• President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 12-20-08
• President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 12-13-08
• President-Elect Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 12-6-08
•  President-Elect Barack Obama Thanksgiving Address Video 11-27-08
• Video: President-Elect Barack Obama Saturday Radio Address 11-15-08
• Audio: President-Elect Barack Obama Saturday Radio Address 11-8-08
• Obama Inauguration Newspaper Front Pages
• Barack Obama Inaugural Address Video, Photos
• Obama Inauguration Video, Photos
• Obama Concert Video, Photos: We Are One Inaugural Celebration Lincoln Memorial
• Obama Train Video, Photos: Obama Express Whistle-stop Train Inauguration
• Video & Photos: Barack Obama Acceptance Speech Presidential Victory 11-4-08
• Barack Obama Official Presidential Portrait
• Barack Obama George W. Bush Former Presidents Luncheon Video, Photos 1-7-09

President Barack Obama Weekly Address Video, Photos 1-24-09 speech pic pictures