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White House to Disband Jobs Council Thursday

Jan. 31, 2013 10:28am Becket Adams

White House Apparently No Longer Needs a Jobs Council, Will Disband the Group Thursday

President Obama Meets With Council On Jobs And Competitiveness In White House (Source: Getty Images, January 17, 2012).

WASHINGTON (TheBlaze/AP) — President Barack Obama will let his jobs council expire this week without renewing its charter, winding down one source of input from the business community even as unemployment remains stubbornly high.

When Obama in January 2011 formed his Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, unemployment was hovering above 9 percent. Two years president later, more than 12 million people in the U.S. are out of work. The unemployment rate has improved to 7.8 percent, but pretty much everyone agrees that’s still too high.

A provision in Obama’s executive order establishing the council says it sunsets on Thursday. A White House official said the president does not plan to extend it.

Officials said the president always intended for the council to fulfill its mission and then wind down, and said that Obama would continue to “actively engage” and seek input from business leaders about ways to accelerate job-creation and economic growth. Among the steps Obama plans to pursue are expedited permits for infrastructure projects, the White House said.

Even before it was clear whether Obama would renew the jobs council, Republicans seized on its likely expiration as evidence the president has devoted insufficient attention to creating jobs, which polling shows remains a top priority for Americans. The Republican National Committee dubbed it part of “the failed Obama record,” while the House Republicans’ campaign committee, in an online petition, accused Obama of laying off his own jobs council.

Adding to the concern about the job market’s continued vulnerability, the Commerce Department said Wednesday that the U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.1 percent from October through December of last year, the first quarterly drop since 2009.

The jobs council was a successor to another economic advisory board Obama created at the onset of his presidency. The panel was chaired by General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt and was comprised of prominent business leaders and economists.

Obama met with the council only a handful of times. During the last meeting, in January 2012, the president and the council highlighted an engineering education initiative alongside school deans.

Yes, as noted elsewhere on TheBlaze, it has been over a year since President Obama has met with his so-called jobs council.

Barack Obama speaks on the economy following a tour of Cree, Inc, a manufacturer of energy efficient LED lighting and a meeting with President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, in Durham, North Carolina, June 13, 2011. (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

The jobs council’s main work product was report released in January 2012, entitled “Roadmap to Renewal.” The council also organized a series of “listening and action” meetings across the country last year with business owners, local elected officials and academics, although Obama didn’t attend those sessions.

Critics have argued that the council’s primary purpose was to create the appearance of action at a time when the nation was pining for something — anything — to rein in soaring joblessness. The administration acted on many of the council’s recommendations, including suggestions for streamlining the permitting process. But the White House was at odds with several council members on tax policies, particularly a proposal to exclude overseas corporate earnings from U.S. taxes. That idea divided even the jobs council, whose membership included labor and Obama’s political allies.

The council’s dissolution also comes as White House aides are optimistic about the prospects for a second-term detente with the business community, which bristled during Obama’s first term at his harsh depiction of “fat-cat bankers” and his efforts to impose regulations, tax policies and spending initiatives they argued were unfriendly to business. Obama aides hope the softening of the relationship between the president and the business world can benefit the White House in future fiscal debates with Republicans.

Final Thought– For today’s “final thought,” we leave you with a quote from President Barack Obama: “This has not been a show council. This has been a work council.”

Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate is 7.8 percent. Good job everyone. Let’s go home.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Front page photo courtesy Getty Images.

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Comments (82)

Metallicat
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 3:01pm
What does it matter?

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hades3
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:58pm
Fox news is asking the dumb question of the century, i.e.”Will bad economy ruin Obama’s agenda?”
These type of questions are exactly why I no longer watch Fox or any other so called news outlet.
For those who are still among the living, I wish too say this quite clearly. “OBAMA’S AGENDA IS TOO
CREATE A BAD ECONOMY”. I’m amazed that so many “experts” refuse too see what’s happening, even though it has been happening for over 4 years. As Ronald Reagan said, “You aint seen nuthin’ yet”. Obama is on a roll. There is no intention on his part for things too get better. His intent is for them too get much, much worse. That’s his idea of a successful two terms in office.

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calebjim
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:39pm
Just another faled exaple of LEADEHP. This man titled “President” has so few skills in running government and listening to the people around him and this is due to not being qualified for the job.
In reality, this committee was formed for show and not results, much like his election.

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DanaLori
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:16pm
Dear Becket, Please proof read your column before final posting. “Two years president later,…” & later on in your piece,”The jobs council’s main work product was report released in January…” I beg of you to take just a few moments as I was most interested in your article. Thank you.

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taintso
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 2:07pm
wonder how much money they wasted on all 4 meetings?

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ColoradoMaverick
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 1:52pm
The jobs council was nothing more than a prop to be used to get one man keep one job.

51% of voting Americans have been fooled.

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jrcess
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:56pm
Jobs council, first you need a person running the council that has had a job and understands what a job council is about. Obama has Zero experience never having a J. O. B. until he was elected and then failed miserably. A total waste of time and oxygen.

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Bonnieblue2A
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:54pm
Frankly I’m surprised no one at The Blaze is connecting the dots yet.

Illegal appointments to the National Labor Relations Board……Small Business Administration closed to merged with the Department of Commerce…..Jobs Council disbanded…..amnesty for illegals….Agenda 21…..

This is an attack on the small businesses across this country and the people who work for mall non-union companies. The federal bureaucracies are poised to use the NLRB, the EPA, and HHS to shut down every business that does not cow-tow to the State.

Skipping down the road to an all out Socialist State with our own Dictator.

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yazoo
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:45pm
No need for that Congress thingy either. True, they’re rubber stamps now but who knows, one day they could wake up and remember they have duties and responsibilities and DO something. Nah, ain’t gonna happen I know. Just daydreaming. In the Brave new Obama world power will not be shared.

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rickinpa
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:44pm
LOL “Obama would continue to “actively engage” and seek input from business leaders about ways to accelerate job-creation and economic growth.”

ACTIVELY?????!!! HE HASN”T MET WITH THESE CLOWNS IN OVER A YEAR!

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ProudCapitalist
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:43pm
Why would he want to create jobs? If there were jobs and healthcare, those on the dole would not need Democrats for handouts and Obamacare.

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Whatmeworry-never
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:43pm
Dear Leader will market this as a budget cut.

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zoro51
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:29pm
once more this SOCIALIST shows whom he is.. AMERICAN HATTING MUSLUM BENT ON AMERICAS DISTRUCTION.. IMPEACH N THROW OUT OF THE USA… HE HAS LIED N DECIEVED THE USA.. now NO JOBS COUNCIL.. means hes uncaring about creating jobs BUT he GIVES BILLIONS ot a MUSLUM nation for thier job cretion but in america THATS A SIN

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barber2
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 12:03pm
The only thing Obama is interested in creating ? Votes for his radical Democrats.

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thegreatcarnac
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:59am
Obama is a failure and a fool. He has ruined the nation. We do not have a 7.8% unemployment problem,….it is more like 16%. The government creeps have to do a lot of manipulating to get the unemployment rate under 8% but it is a false number. His ‘job council’ was a show; ….theater for the idiots. Obama has come to destroy us. He is not American. He is part of a coup. Impeach him.

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ABRAXUS
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:58am
His only interest in jobs is the destruction of them.

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DebateMe
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:57am
Some of you posting here seem surprised. Why? As far as I know he attended the job council meetings one time. The job council was to serve as a photo op only during the days when obama had to restrain himself because he wanted to be elected to a 2nd term. That goal has been achieved and he is now revealing his true face therefore no need for a jobs council. This president has no concern about jobs, or budgets, or deficits. His inaction in those area prove those issues are the last things on his mind.

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Sharon Rose
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:51am
There are a lot of government agencies that should be eradicated.

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barber2
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:49am
And Obama’s War on American capitalism continues..

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barber2
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:48am
Here comes that old Obama Express Bus…..when you are no longer useful to this administration….

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Mountaineer12
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:41am
Well everything must be fixed, america is awash in new Obama, sustainable green employment. Imagine if the stimulus was even larger or we borrowed another 10 trillion off of China what are GDP would be now, by the way the unexpected drop in GDP was caused by Hurricane Sandy during the fourth quarter. This President and those damn head winds that he and the economy are always facing. It’s not the emperors fault, he’s working hard for the American people developing his communist utopia, which looks alot like fourth quarter GDP looked like.

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your_imaginary_friend
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:39am
In this image JOBS stand for: ‘Just. Obama. B. S.’
http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Getty_B_061311_ObamaJObs.jpg

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bankerpapaw
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:34am
Just like the rest of the Obama administration – - – Absolutely worthless and leaderless.

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petemg
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:25am
Obama is too concerned about immigrants rights.

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davetrav
Posted on January 31, 2013 at 11:21am
Obama cares not about Americans?-Job council did nothing so why not get rid of it. Obama wants to destroy America just like Hitler and Stalin–Carl Marx said get the people and business believe that you are working to help them, get the government to give out free things, make the people again believe in you , them slam the door shut and BINGO a communist country with a dictator. Don’t you find it alittle out of line that 4 or 5 of our 4 star generals have been removed out of office in the last 6 months? Obama asked if our current military would fire on the American people. WHAT IS OBAMA AND FRIENDS UP TOO.–WHY is millions being sent to countries that hate us. OBAMA wants THIS SO CALLED NEW ORDER FOR THE WORLD. –PEOPLE open your eyes. Obama wants to ban guns and Washington and his home town have the highest deaths in America. His home town has strong gun laws yet 45 have already been killed this month alone. GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE–PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE—GUNS WILL KEEP US FREE AND NOTHING ELSE. Obama is in bed with those that would kill us, Washington is throwing the deaths in LIBYA under the bus to protect him. Pres. NIXON
only had watergate, OBAMA HAS BLOOD ON HIS HANDS–Sec CLINTON IS BLAMING PRES. BUSH
GIVE ME A BREAK—Obama has done nothing in the last 4 years , now he wants to control us, he wants to get rid of the constitution –have unlimited power to spend money and uses kids in TV ad’s
to soffen the public views. -IMPEACH OBAMA –HE IS NOT ABOVE THE LAW–PER

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