Obama to Push Manufacturing, Economic Agenda in North Carolina
President Barack Obama on Wednesday pitches his economic agenda in North Carolina, a battleground state in the last two national elections that has veered sharply to the right under a Republican governor and a Republican-controlled state assembly.
Obama’s visit is aimed at drawing attention to a manufacturing initiative he promised last year to identify hubs linking ground-breaking research with businesses that could use the innovation commercially.
However, the announcement will be overshadowed by his inability so far to persuade Congress to approve legislation extending emergency unemployment insurance for people who have been out of work for at least six months. The president and his aides say approving such benefits would not only provide 1.5 million Americans a much-needed cushion but would boost growth.
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